POLARBEAR, Radio telescope at Cerro Toco, Atacama Desert, Chile
POLARBEAR is a radio telescope with a 2.5-meter diameter positioned at Cerro Toco in the Atacama Desert. The instrument observes the cosmic microwave background at 150 GHz frequency to detect radiation patterns from the early universe.
POLARBEAR was first installed in 2010 at the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy site near Westgard Pass, California, for an engineering run. It was moved to its final site on the slopes of Cerro Toco in the Atacama Desert in September 2011. The instrument saw first light on January 10, 2012, and began its first observing season in April 2012.
Scientists from multiple international institutions collaborate at this facility to advance understanding of the early universe through cosmic microwave background measurements.
The Huan Tran Telescope stands on the slopes of Cerro Toco at nearly 5,200 m, reached from the Chajnantor Science Reserve in the Antofagasta Region. The altitude demands acclimatisation, and the site is exposed and remote, so plan transport and supplies in advance. The instrument is a working observatory, not a visitor facility.
The instrument has measured polarized patterns in the cosmic background radiation, providing clues about gravitational lensing effects. This discovery helped confirm theoretical predictions about how matter bends light from the distant universe.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,372 contributors worldwide.
