The Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is a cutting-edge facility for astronomical research and instrumentation development. It is simultaneously one of the world's premier submillimeter telescopes and one of the easiest to use. It may also have the distinction of being the world's only professional observatory without an operator. The astronomer is given full control of the telescope during observing. The CSO is located on "submillimeter ridge" near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawai'i.

Photo: The 10.4-meter Leighton telescope of the Caltech
Submillimeter Observatory atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Caltech is a leg of Around the World in 80 Telescopes tour: Click to play; click  (lower right) to view video full screen Next stop: MOA Telescope (previous: Submillimeter Array)

The CSO consists of a 10.4-meter diameter Leighton dish, a hexagonally-segmented design similar to, but predating, that of the Keck Observatories. The dish is protected from the sun by a compact dome which houses the control room, instumentation rooms, and observers' lounge. The telescope is operated by Caltech under a contract from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been operating on a regular basis since 1988. CSO is open to the astronomical community, with most of the observing time available for non-Caltech observers.

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