Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, Radio telescope at Mauna Kea, United States
The 10.4-meter diameter submillimeter telescope operated at an altitude of 13,570 feet, specializing in wavelengths of 1,300, 350, and 850 micrometers.
Robert Leighton proposed the observatory to the National Science Foundation in 1973, leading to its construction and first light observation of galaxy Messier 82 in 1986.
The removal of the observatory in 2024 marked a shift in the management of astronomical facilities on Mauna Kea, considering local environmental preservation.
The facility contributed to astronomical research through heterodyne receiver work, with many instruments constructed at the California Institute of Technology campus.
After dismantling, the telescope components will relocate to Chile as the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope, with first observations expected in 2027.
Operator: California Institute of Technology
GPS coordinates: 19.82253,-155.47557
Latest update: March 14, 2025 09:36
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