The World’s Highest Scientific Observatory Opens in Atacama, Chile

May 2, 2024 Hour: 4:03 pm

In Chile, the University of Tokyo, together with the Chilean government, inaugurated the Atacama Observatory (TAO), built on top of Chajmanto Hill, which has an altitude of 5,640 meters, which incorporates an optical-infrared telescope of 6.5 meters.

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After 26 years of planning and construction, the TAO is officially the highest observatory in the world, according to the Guiness record book.

Located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, the new complex is not far from the ALMA radio telescope (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), one of the largest astronomical projects in the world and participated by an international association of countries.

In the words of Professor Yuzuru Yoshii, director of the TAO project for 26 years, “”I seek to elucidate mysteries of the universe, such as dark energy and the first primordial stars. To do this, it is necessary to observe the sky in a way that only TAO makes possible”.

Sunset to sunrise timelapse over the ALMA Observatory on Chajnantor Plateau in the Atacama Desert
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— wiggle (@w1991e)
May 2, 2024

On the other hand, Takashi Miyata, responsible for the construction of the observatory, said, “TAO will be the only ground-based telescope in the world capable of clearly seeing mid-infrared wavelengths. This area of the spectrum is extremely good for studying the environments surrounding stars, including the planet-forming regions”.

The official website of the TAO project highlights the advantages of this advantageous environment that allows us to observe distant galaxies, the activities of celestial bodies hidden in dust and gas, and the dust that surrounds stars, among other research possibilities.