SOAR Telescope Project

What is SOAR?

The Southern Astrophysical Reseach (SOAR) telescope is operated by a consortium including Michigan State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and the country of Brazil.

Where is SOAR?

SOAR is located at 9000 feet altitude on Cerro Pachón, 300 miles north of Chile's capital Santiago.

What is SOAR Doing Now?

The SOAR telescope observes the universe with visible light and infrared detectors. Observation time is divided between partners in pre-determined blocks that rotate so that each partner receives equal shares of dark time vs. bright time, etc. over the long run. Each partner separately schedules nights on the telescope.

How Does SOAR Work?

SOAR is a reflecting telescope, and works by collecting and focusing light with mirrors. The primary mirror is 4.1m (13.5 ft) in diameter. Learn more about SOAR's optics.

What does SOAR look like?

Pictures and Video of the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope are available in the SOAR Gallery.

Want to know more?

The SOAR project at MSU maintains web pages at https://web.pa.msu.edu/soarmsu/ with additional information about the telescope.