Deep Space Observatories: The Southern African Large Telescope

South African Astronomical Observatory image of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere near the town of Sutherland in remote arid Karoo.

South Africa has opened the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere near the town of Sutherland in the nation's remote arid Karoo region.

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) will use its geographic location on Earth to good advantage as the clear, very dry Karoo offers good observing of the Universe.

Many deep space regions can be observed more effectively from the southern hemisphere. For example, the Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud are galaxies which orbit our own Milky Way galaxy. They can be seen from Earth's southern hemisphere, but not the northern hemisphere.

A hexagon 12 meters (39 feet) in diameter, SALT is composed of many small hexagonal mirrors.

Astronomers use the big telescope to peer at stars, galaxies and quasars that are a billion times too faint to be seen by the naked eye. Quasars resemble bright stars, but actually are black holes at the center of galaxies. They are some of the most distant objects across the Universe.

Learn more:

Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)

Southern African Large Telescope Webcam

Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)

South African Astronomical Observatory

SALT – Africa's eye on the Universe

Southern African Large Telescope Rutgers University is a partner in the SALT consortium