Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope

The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) was a 15-metre diameter radio telescope located at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The telescope was built in 1987 as a combined project between ESO and Onsala Space Observatory, with contributions from Finland and Australia.[1] It was then the only large telescope for submillimetre astronomy in the southern hemisphere.[2] It was decommissioned in 2003.[3]

Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope
Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope
Part ofLa Silla Observatory 
Location(s)Chile
Coordinates29°16′S 70°44′W
OrganizationEuropean Southern Observatory
Onsala Space Observatory 
Built–1987 (–1987)
Telescope styleparabolic reflector
radio telescope 
Diameter15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Focal length4,875 mm (15 ft 11.9 in)
Location of Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope
Related media on Wikimedia Commons

The telescope was used for single-dish observations of a wide range of astronomical objects, especially the Galactic centre and the Magellanic Clouds and for interferometric observations at millimetre wavelengths.[1]

In 1995 observations made with SEST showed that the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest known location in the universe, with a temperature lower than the background radiation.[4][5]

  • SEST and Orion constellation with his famous belt and sword.[6]
  • SEST dish measures 15 metres across. It was decommissioned in 2003.[7]
  • Sky filled with star trails, a result of the camera's long exposure time.[8]
  • SEST with the ESO 3.6 m Telescope in the background

See also

References
  1. "Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope - SEST". Onsala Space Observatory. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
  2. R. S. Booth; et al. "The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope" (PDF). ESO. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
  3. "Swedish-ESO 15m Submillimeter Telescope (SEST)". Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
  4. Cauchi, Stephen (February 21, 2003). "Coolest bow tie in the universe". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  5. Sahai, Raghvendra; Nyman, Lars-Åke (1997). "The Boomerang Nebula: The Coolest Region of the Universe?". The Astrophysical Journal. 487 (2): L155–L159. Bibcode:1997ApJ...487L.155S. doi:10.1086/310897.
  6. "Hunting stars". www.eso.org. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  7. "La Silla Dawn Kisses the Milky Way". Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  8. "Dizzying Star Trails over SEST". www.eso.org. European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
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