TAO Observatory: World's highest telescope to study evolution of galaxies and exoplanets

2 May, 2024 10:47

The world's highest telescope has officially begun its mission: with its help, scientists will study the evolution of galaxies and exoplanets.

The Japanese University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory, or TAO, which began work on the project 26 years ago, is located on the top of a high mountain in the Chilean Andes at an altitude of 5,640 meters above sea level. The height of the object surpasses even the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, which is located at an altitude of 5050 meters.

According to Space.com, the 6.5-meter TAO telescope consists of two scientific instruments designed to observe the universe in infrared, which is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves. These instruments will make it possible to image galaxies in the early Universe and study the primordial dust disks where stars and galaxies form. The Atacama region's infrastructure, thin atmosphere and low humidity create ideal conditions for infrared observations, increasing the accuracy of scientific data.

One of the instruments, called SWIMS, will image galaxies from the earliest universe to understand how they formed from primordial dust and gas - a process that remains unclear despite decades of research. The second instrument, called MIMIZUKU, will contribute to a major scientific goal by studying primordial dust disks within which stars and galaxies are known to form.

University of Tokyo professor and TAO project leader Yuzuru Yoshii stressed that building the telescope on top of Mount Chajnantor was a huge challenge from both a technical and political point of view. This project required attention to the interests of indigenous peoples, cooperation with the Chilean government to obtain permits, and cooperation with local universities and the Chilean Ministry of Health.