Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope, Optical telescope in Vicuña, Chile.
The Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope is an optical observatory featuring a 4.1-meter segmented mirror situated on Cerro Pachón mountain at approximately 2,738 meters elevation. The facility was built to study the southern sky and conduct various types of astronomical observations.
Construction of the telescope started in 1997 with the acquisition of materials for the mirror and was completed in January 2004. The project developed through collaboration between research institutions from Brazil, the United States, and Chile.
SOAR is run by a consortium in which Brazil and Chile each hold guaranteed shares of observing time, alongside Michigan State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. Shares range from 10 to 30 percent. Chilean and Brazilian astronomers reach the telescope over their national high-speed networks, while US astronomers observe remotely over Internet2.
The facility is located in a high mountain area and is primarily open for scientific research and scheduled educational visits. Plan ahead as the location is remote and sits at high altitude where conditions can be challenging.
The 45° tertiary mirror rotates to switch between instruments at the Nasmyth and bent-Cassegrain foci within minutes, and its pointing is adjusted at high speed to counter wind-shake of the structure. The dome is a 20-metre, weatherproof structure weighing over 70 tons, built at a cost of $2 million.
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