The Cerro Chajnantor mountain peak in the Chilean Andes is home to the TAO observatory, an ambitious project of the University of Tokyo that opened its doors to become the tallest observatory on Earth. Located at 5,640 meters above sea level, TAO was conceptualized 26 years ago with a goal to study the evolution of galaxies and exoplanets.
The name Cerro Chajnantor means “place of departure” in the Kunza language of the indigenous Likan Antai community. The region’s high altitude, thin air, and year-round arid climate make it dangerous for humans but an ideal location for infrared telescopes like TAO. The precision of observations requires low humidity, making Earth’s atmosphere transparent at infrared wavelengths.
TAO’s telescope includes two scientific instruments, SWIMS and MIMIZUKU, designed to observe the universe using infrared rays. SWIMS will image galaxies from the early universe to understand their formation from primordial dust and gas. MIMIZUKU will study primordial dust disks that helped stars and galaxies form.
Scientists hope that TAO and other telescopes will help make unexpected discoveries that challenge current understanding and explain the unknown. They believe that better astronomical observations of real objects will lead to more accurate experiments on Earth.