 Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope | |
| Location(s) | Gamsberg Nature Reserve |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°16′S70°44′W / 29.26°S 70.73°W /-29.26; -70.73 |
| Telescope style | radio telescope |
| Diameter | 15 m (49 ft 3 in) |
| Focal length | 4,875 mm (15 ft 11.9 in) |
 Related media on Commons | |
TheSwedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) is a 15-metre diameterradio telescope. It is located at theLa Silla Observatory inChile.
The telescope was built in 1987 as a combined project betweenESO andOnsala Space Observatory, with contributions from Finland and Australia.[1] It was then the only large telescope forsubmillimetre astronomy in the southern hemisphere.[2] It was decommissioned in 2003.[3]
The telescope was used for single-dish observations of a wide range ofastronomical objects, especially theGalactic Center and theMagellanic Clouds and forinterferometric observations at millimetre wavelengths.[1]
In 1995 observations made with SEST showed that theBoomerang Nebula is the coldest known location in theuniverse, with a temperature lower than thebackground radiation.[4][5]
![SEST and Orion with his famous belt and sword.[6]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aHunting_stars.jpg)
![SEST dish measures 15 metres across. It was decommissioned in 2003.[7]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aLa_Silla_Dawn_Kisses_the_Milky_Way.jpg)
![Sky filled with star trails, a result of the camera's long exposure time.[8]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDizzying_Star_Trails_over_SEST.jpg)
