Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope

The Submillimeter Telescope (SMT), formerly known as the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, is a submillimeter wavelength radio telescope located on Mount Graham, Arizona, US. It is a 10-meter-wide parabolic dish inside a building to protect it from bad weather. The building front doors and roof are opened when the telescope is in use. The telescope's construction was finished in 1993. Along with the 12 Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak, this telescope is maintained by the Arizona Radio Observatory, a division of Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona.

Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope
Alternative namesSubmillimeter Telescope
Part ofEvent Horizon Telescope
Mount Graham International Observatory 
Location(s)Arizona
Coordinates32°42′06″N 109°53′28″W
OrganizationArizona Radio Observatory 
Altitude3,185 m (10,449 ft)
Telescope styleradio telescope 
Diameter10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Secondary diameter0.69 m (2 ft 3 in)
Mass44.76 t (44,760 kg)
Focal length3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Mountingaltazimuth mount 
Websitearo.as.arizona.edu
Location of Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope
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The dryness of the air around and above Mount Graham is important for extremely high frequency (EHF) radio and far-infrared observations - a region of the spectrum where the electromagnetic waves are strongly attenuated by any water vapor or clouds in the air.

This telescope is used nine to ten months of the year, and it is stowed only when there is too much water vapor in the atmosphere, primarily during the summertime. This telescope is one of the telescopes that makes up Mount Graham International Observatory.

See also

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