It鈥檚听not your usual opening听event for听a scientific facility.听Most ribbon-cuttings do not require medical clearance. Most guests do not arrive with oxygen packs.
But this Thursday (April 9), Dr. Scott Chapman听and a bus full of academic and government dignitaries 鈥� at least听those cleared to make the ascent 鈥� climbed high into the Chilean Andes听toward a new telescope, where even stepping out for a brief ceremony can leave visitors foggy and short of breath.
鈥淵eah, well, you need to use oxygen to work up there.听It鈥檚听Everest base camp height,鈥澨齭ays听Dr. Chapman, Killam Professor in Astrophysics at pilipili漫画. 鈥淯nless you鈥檝e acclimatized over many weeks,听it鈥檚 impossible to function without oxygen tubes.鈥�
Shown left: Dr. Chapman proudly presents the telescope moments before it was turned on for the first time. (Margaret Chapman photo)
It's the highest altitude a telescope has ever been听placed.
The new听听(FYST)听is stationed听5,600 meters听above sea level in northern Chile, a landscape Dr. Chapman describes as high-altitude desert. He says it's 鈥渢he highest altitude a telescope has ever been听placed.鈥�
The site team after pilipili漫画fully installing the first mirror (March 19, 2026).听Courtesy of听.
The听project听is led by听, a collaboration that includes听a听consortium听of听German and Canadian universities 鈥� including Dalhousie 鈥� in conjunction with Chilean astronomers through the University of Chile.
Capturing the universe
听
While听punishing, the听thin air is also the point听says听Dr. Chapman,听who led the听design and construction of听onboard听camera听systems.听The extreme听altitude听means听less moisture in the atmosphere to interfere with the听instrument鈥檚听view 鈥� ideal conditions for听capturing听images of听the universe.
Dr. Scott Chapman. (Nick Pearce photo)
Unlike human eyes, which perceive cosmic shapes by the light they emit, Dr. Chapman says the telescope听observes听submillimetre wavelengths 鈥� the faint听signals that sit between radio and infrared.听It听can听also听observe听massive swaths of the sky at once. It's powerful enough to scan about 1,000 times the area seen by a conventional telescope, surpassing听similar听submillimetre听telescope听facilities.听
From its perch high in Atacama Desert, Dr. Chapman says the new telescope will open new "windows through the atmosphere" to survey vast tracts of cosmos. He says the data produced will听give听scientists听new insights into how听galaxies formed听beginning in the听early universe and how stars are born in our own galaxy.听听
Artist鈥檚 renderings听of the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope.听Courtesy of听.
Supercharged pixels
听
The camera systems听Dr. Chapman听helped听produce听for the telescope听are far removed from听your average听smartphone setup.听Developed with $500,000听in support听from the Canada Foundation for Innovation,听the听image-making听devices听use quantum-based detector technology to build听graphic depictions听of our evolving galaxy.
He says the novelty听of the technology is not obvious from the听physical construction.
鈥淚f I showed you a design of it, it just looks like the inside of a camera.听Four lenses, some filters, digital pixels sitting at the focal point of it.鈥�
What makes it different听are the processors that power it.
One of the听detector听arrays that allows the camera to capture faint signals from space. (Scott Chapman photo)
鈥淚t鈥檚听a digital camera in a sense, like the camera on your phone, but it uses quantum mechanical techniques to detect the light.听It鈥檚听a very advanced technological development that听we鈥檙e听trying to pioneer.鈥�
Like a conventional digital camera, Dr. Chapman鈥檚 instrument captures information pixel by pixel. But each pixel uses quantum-based听superconducting听technology, making the camera far more sensitive to the faint signals associated with star formation.
Precision-engineered structures that help guide signals through the instrument.
The concept was developed听nearly 30听years ago by one of Dr. Chapman鈥檚 colleagues. But turning it into a working instrument has听required听decades of engineering, including close collaboration with a lab in Boulder, Colorado, culminating in its first application in the听Fred听Young Submillimeter Telescope.
A star is born
听
Dr. Chapman听says听the听new听camera provides greater听sensitivity to听鈥渢he听cold things,鈥� in the听outer reaches听of the galaxy.听To work, the instrument must be听chilled听to听near听absolute zero. That extreme operating environment is what听facilitates听the camera鈥檚听unusual sensitivity听to听detect听cold听masses of gas and听observe听their听transformation听into听the stars.
W51 Nebula - One of the largest 鈥淪tar Factories鈥� in the Milky Way - August 25, 2020. (听image)
鈥淭hey start as a very cold puff which is about 30 kelvins, about minus 240 degrees Celsius. And then,听as they collapse, they heat up, and eventually the temperature reaches the temperature at the centre of the sun,鈥� says Dr. Chapman.听
He explains that this听process is听the consequence of听gravitational energy being turned into thermal energy.听The more tightly packed particals are drawn together the hotter they get.听
This telescope is good at seeing when stars like our sun are just starting to form.
鈥淲e like to pretend temperature is something we feel in response to how much sunlight there is,鈥� he says,听鈥渂ut听temperature is the kinetic energy of the particles.鈥�
Dr. Chapman鈥檚 camera systems听capture the collapsing of these cosmic structures听and the听concentration of their听kinetic听energy as they become more tightly packed, giving researchers a clearer view of how stars听are created听and galaxies听arise.听
鈥淭his telescope is good at seeing when stars like our sun are just starting to form,鈥澨齭ays听Dr. Chapman.听鈥淲e鈥檙e听getting to see听stars just starting in our galaxy and听capture听them taking听shape.鈥�