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SALT Telescope First Light
carnun writes "On the 1st of September, 5 years after ground breaking, the SALT Telescope released their first light images to the public. Yesterday one of these images was even displayed on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day website. The Southern African Large Telescope, built in South Africa, is the largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere and (depending on how you define it) the equal largest telescope in the world, but built at a budget of only $30 million, about a tenth cheaper than its nearest competitor. The official opening of the telescope is scheduled for the 10th of November, but scientific observations are already a regular occurence. (Disclaimer: I'm the software engineer responsible for the main telescope server.)" Perhaps as an added bonus carnun could even be persuaded to participate heavily in the discussion. Either way, sounds like a cool project to be a part of.
I'll let carnun guess it :)
First Light!
In other news, an enormous emission of light and radiation is observed from SA as SALT's servers get slashdotted...
As I recall, even back in the early 1970s, SALT was one of the key planks of Nixon's presidential strategy. I was under the impression that SALT succeeded and was only finally done away with when GWB took office, but to see that it is still working is very cool.
Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
not even the night vision goggles that the military uses has that good of light-gathering
Omg, hand-sized gadget can't gather as much light as a huge complex worth tens of millions. How impressing!
I wonder if the telescope could see the smoldering ruins of the webserver from the surface of the moon - as the server just got slashdotted off the face of the earth...
Well, i don't think one tenth is _that_ impressive. Are they sure it's not 10 times cheaper or something?
Imagine the technologies that are honed with this project being released to the mainstream public down the road
Paparazzi camera lenses that can snapshot celebrities indiscretions from another continent?
liqbase
SALT can detect objects as faint as a candle flame on the moon.
Now, granted I haven't been to the moon myself but I would tend to think a candle flame there would indeed be extremely faint..
Did you read the nerd factor 10 poetry on the page? For the ones who can not reach the page:
:)
praise poem of the
Southern African Large Telescope
"At the mountain's top I reach up,
I fill my haversack with stars."
- Tatamkhulu Afrika: Nightrider
when the sun sets
we stand in the failing light
stretch our arms,
catch the falling drops.
Medupe & Marang cup our CCD,
save all falling photons,
deepening into a pool of light
whose surface reflects:
stretch marks from the birth of time
hints of gravity's lenses
the pulse of stars
& mating dance of binary suns;
galaxies digitalized - a heaven
captured in butterfly nets of circuitry
red on the readout, disked for storage:
mysteries, solved and sensuous.
Keith Gottschalk
Emphasis added...
Will pick up a pimple on an astronauts ass..
I suspects that the writer doesn't know how to write all that good.
[ South Africa ]
Posted by ScuttleMonkey on 10:07 7th September, 2005
from the man-we-don't-hear-about-this-place-often-enough dept.
A South African writes "On the 1st of September, 5 years after ground breaking South Africanism, the South African Telescope released their first South African light images to the South Africa public. Yesterday one of these South African images was even displayed on NASA's Southern Africa Picture of the Day website. The Southern African Large Telescope, built in South Africa, is the largest telescope in South Africa and (depending on how you define it) the equal largest telescope in South Africa, but built at a budget of only 30 million South African $, about a tenth cheaper than its nearest South African competitor. The official opening of the South African telescope is scheduled for the 10th of November South Africa time, but South African scientific observations are already a regular occurence. (Disclaimer: I'm the South African software engineer responsible for the main South African South Africa telescope server, in South Africa.)" Perhaps as an added South Africa bonus South African carnun could even be persuaded to participate heavily in the South African discussion. Either way, sounds like a cool South African project to be a part of when you're in South Africa.
"My god, it's full of sta...@~0-tw$%^&e" Hmmm, server must be down.
This is great news for astronomy. I just hope they keep an eye out for the Bronson Bodies with their new toy.
Too lazy to create a sig...
Did they pay for it after getting money from the Automatic ATM Machine? After typing in their PIN Number? I know, I should RTFA the article before posting. I'll STFU up now.
Mutter, mutter, mutter...
Part Time Philosopher, Oft Times Romantic, Full Time Unix Geek
If this thing can pick up the light of a candle burning on the moon's surface, then someone has been lying to us big time.
Yeah, there are many meanings to SALT:
In South Africa, a Saltie is an Englishman - since he is standing with one foot in London, the other in Cape Town and his dong in the salt water...
In Australia, a Saltie is a seawater crocodile.
The combination of the two would be very amusing to watch...
Oh well, what the hell...