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Observatories and Instruments

South Pole Telescope

Ground-Based Radio and Millimeter Observatories

A 10-meter diameter telescope at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, designed to observe the microwave, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave sky, with a particular goal of measuring the faint, diffuse cosmic microwave background. It achieved first light on 16 February 2007, and its first major survey, searching for distant massive galaxy clusters through their interaction with the cosmic microwave background to constrain the dark energy equation of state, was completed in October 2011.

Facts
Observatory Type
Ground-based millimeter-wave telescope 2
Location
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica 2
Operational
from 2007 2
Measures
The faint, diffuse microwave, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave emission of the cosmic microwave background. 2
Operating Principle
The entire 10-meter telescope is scanned as one unit so its beam does not move relative to its own mirrors, a design now standard among modern cosmic microwave background telescopes, sited at the pole for its cold, dry, stable atmosphere. 2
Classification
Observing Band
Microwave 1
FAQs

Why is the South Pole Telescope located at the South Pole?

The South Pole has a stable, dry atmosphere that suits millimeter-wave survey observations.

The telescope is a 10-meter microwave, millimeter and submillimeter wavelength instrument at the NSF Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Its operators describe the station as the best currently operational site on Earth for millimeter-wave survey observations because of its stable, dry atmosphere.
Connections

Operated By

University of Chicago, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Orbit Codex: South Pole Telescope record
In the Other Atlases

Located In

Antarctica

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. South Pole Telescope (Wikipedia)
  • Wikipedia: South Pole Telescope, lead section
    The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10-metre (390 in) diameter telescope located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.
  • Wikipedia: South Pole Telescope, design goals section
    The telescope is designed for observations in the microwave, millimeter-wave, and submillimeter-wave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the particular design goal of measuring the faint, diffuse emission from the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
  • Lead
    The telescope is designed for observations in the microwave, millimeter-wave, and submillimeter-wave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum
  • In Group: Single-Dish Radio and Millimetre Telescopes, Lead sentence
    The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10-metre (390 in) diameter telescope located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.
View the Source
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia: South Pole Telescope, history section
    On February 16, 2007, the South Pole Telescope achieved first light.
  • Wikipedia: South Pole Telescope, design section
    A key feature of the SPT design, now standard among modern CMB telescopes, is that the entire telescope is scanned, so the beam does not move relative to the telescope mirrors.
View the Source
Orbit Codex: South Pole Telescope record
Orbit CodexOperated By: University of Chicago, Technical: Operating Institution
Quote, Operated By: University of Chicago, Technical: Operating Institution
Operating Institution University of Chicago (lead)
View the Source
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