On May 3rd, media reported that after 26 years of meticulous construction, the Atacama Observatory "TAO" in the northern desert of Chile, operated by the University of Tokyo, has officially been completed this week.
Located on Mount Chajnantor at an altitude of 5640 meters, TAO has set a Guinness World Record as the highest astronomical observatory in the world.
Equipped with a 6.5-meter diameter telescope capable of observing near-infrared wavelengths, this observatory provides scientists with a powerful tool to study the birth of galaxies and the origins of planets.
Constructed by the University of Tokyo, TAO thrives in an extreme environment with high altitude, thin atmosphere, and year-round dryness, making it an ideal observation site for infrared telescopes.
Low humidity conditions make the Earth's atmosphere transparent to infrared wavelengths, greatly enhancing observational accuracy.
Since 1998, Professor Yuzuru Yoshii from the University of Tokyo has been serving as the head of the TAO project. In an official statement, he described the construction of the telescope on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor as "a formidable challenge."
Professor Yoshii emphasized that during the project implementation, they communicated with indigenous peoples to ensure their rights, coordinated with the Chilean government for permits, collaborated with local universities for technical exchanges, and worked with the Chilean Ministry of Health to ensure the safety of personnel working in high-altitude areas.
