University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory
Looking east towards Cerro Chajnantor, site of TAO
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| Organization | University of Tokyo | ||||
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| Location | Cerro Chajnantor, Atacama Desert, Chile | ||||
| Coordinates | 22°59′12″S 67°44′32″W / 22.98667°S 67.74222°WCoordinates: 22°59′12″S 67°44′32″W / 22.98667°S 67.74222°W | ||||
| Altitude | 5,640 m (18,500 ft) | ||||
| Established | 2009 | ||||
| Website |
http://www.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/TAO/ (English translation) |
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 Location of University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO)
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| miniTAO | 1m optical-infrared |
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| (planned) | 6.5m optical-infrared |
The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) is an astronomical observatory located on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor, at an altitude of 5,640 m (18,500 ft) within a lava dome in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is located less than 5 km (3.1 mi) north-northeast of the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory, where the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is located, but is over 580 m (1,900 ft) higher in elevation.
The eventual goal of the project is to install a 6.5 m (260 in) optical-infrared telescope at the site. A first step towards that goal has been the construction and installation of a 1.0 m (39 in) pilot telescope, called miniTAO, completed in 2009. With first light achieved in March 2009 in the visible region, and infrared imaging underway as of June 2009, the observatory has become the highest permanent astronomical observatory in the world.
The telescope’s primary mirror will have a diameter of 6.5 m (260 in) and will be silver-coated. The secondary mirror will be equipped with adaptive optics to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. A third mirror will allow switching between several instruments. There will be a Cassegrain focus for the mid-infrared range, a Nasmyth focus for the near-infrared range and another Nasmyth focus for far-infrared.
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