KOSMA
Encyclopedia
The Kölner Observatorium für SubMillimeter Astronomie (KOSMA) was a 3-m radio telescope
for submillimeter astronomy located at 3,135 m on Gornergrat
near Zermatt
(Switzerland
). It was operated by the I. Physikalisches Institut (Cologne, Germany) and the Radioastronomisches Institut, University of Bonn. It was equipped with heterodyne
receivers covering frequencies between 210 and 880 GHz, corresponding to wavelengths between 0.35 and 1.4mm, for observations of lines from the interstellar medium
.
Because of the good climatic conditions at the altitude of 3135 m (10285 ft), astronomical observatories have been located in both towers of the Kulmhotel at Gornergrat since 1967. In 1985, the KOSMA telescope was installed in the southern tower by the Universität zu Köln and, in the course of 1995, replaced by a new dish and mount. In the northern tower, a 1.5 m infrared telescope was operated until 2005 by an Italian association of universities (TIRGO
).
The telescope is now being moved to a site in Yangbajain in Damxung County
in Tibet
at an altitude of 4300m.
Radio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
for submillimeter astronomy located at 3,135 m on Gornergrat
Gornergrat
The Gornergrat is a ridge of the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, overlooking the Gorner Glacier to the south. It can be reached by the Gornergratbahn rack railway from Zermatt...
near Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). It was operated by the I. Physikalisches Institut (Cologne, Germany) and the Radioastronomisches Institut, University of Bonn. It was equipped with heterodyne
Heterodyne
Heterodyning is a radio signal processing technique invented in 1901 by Canadian inventor-engineer Reginald Fessenden where high frequency signals are converted to lower frequencies by combining two frequencies. Heterodyning is useful for frequency shifting information of interest into a useful...
receivers covering frequencies between 210 and 880 GHz, corresponding to wavelengths between 0.35 and 1.4mm, for observations of lines from the interstellar medium
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
.
Because of the good climatic conditions at the altitude of 3135 m (10285 ft), astronomical observatories have been located in both towers of the Kulmhotel at Gornergrat since 1967. In 1985, the KOSMA telescope was installed in the southern tower by the Universität zu Köln and, in the course of 1995, replaced by a new dish and mount. In the northern tower, a 1.5 m infrared telescope was operated until 2005 by an Italian association of universities (TIRGO
Gornergrat Infrared Telescope
The Telescopio InfraRosso del Gornergrat is located on the northern tower of the Kulm Hotel at Gornergrat near Zermatt, Switzerland. It was a Cassegrain telescope with a tip-tilt correcting secondary and optimized for infrared observations, but was decommissioned in March 2005...
).
The telescope is now being moved to a site in Yangbajain in Damxung County
Damxung County
Damxung is a county far north of the main centre of Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its administrative seat is Damquka.Damxung means "selected pasture" in Tibetan language.-Geography:...
in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
at an altitude of 4300m.
See also
- The James Clerk Maxwell submillimeter telescopeJames Clerk Maxwell TelescopeThe James Clerk Maxwell Telescope is a submillimetre-wavelength telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. Its primary mirror is 15 metres across: it is the largest astronomical telescope that operates in submillimetre wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum...
- The California Submillimeter Observatory
- Science and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in Switzerland play an important role in economy as very few natural resources are available in the country. The Swiss National Science Foundation, mandated by the Federal government, is the most important institute promoting scientific research.The raw output of scientific...