University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory
The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory ( TAO) is an observatory on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor, a 5640 -meter-high lava dome in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The observatory is located less than 5 kilometers away from the plateau on which the Atacama Large Millimeter Array ( ALMA ) will be established, but it is 580 m higher. It is planned by the University of Tokyo.
The observatory will be equipped with a 6.5 m telescope for observing in the optical and infra- red. As a first step, a 1 m telescope Pilot, installs with the name miniTAO in 2009; it is the highest observatory in the world. Due to the high location of the restrictions otherwise existing atmospheric window can be overcome and it is on the one hand continuous observation of the visible wavelength range of up to 2.5 microns, as well as possible in a mid-infrared range of from 15 microns to about 30 microns.
The future 6.5 meter reflecting telescope to be built in Gregory arrangement. The primary mirror is silvered and the secondary mirror equipped with an adaptive optics to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. The First Light is planned for 2016.