WIP · World in Pocket

Simons Observatory

San Pedro de Atacama, Italy

Simons Observatory

The Simons Observatory is located in the high Atacama Desert in Northern Chile inside the Chajnator Science Preserve, at an altitude of 5,200 meters (17,000 ft). The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and the Simons Array were located nearby but these instruments have now been replaced by the current

(3 small-aperture telescopes and one large-aperture telescope) telescopes of the Simons Observatory. These instruments are currently making observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Their goals are to study how the universe began, what it is made of, and how it evolved to its current state. The Simons Observatory shares many of the same goals of the previous experiments but takes advantage of advances in technology to make far more precise and diverse measurements. In addition, it is envisaged that many aspects of the Simons Observatory (optical designs, detector technologies, and so on) will be pathfinders for the future CMB-S4 array. The Simons Observatory has been made possible by a combined $40.1 million grant from the Simons Foundation and a number of participating universities. The observatory is named after the foundation and its founders: Jim Simons, the hedge-fund...

Listen to the audio guide for Simons Observatory Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby