Contest #135 answer: SALT Telescope, Sutherland, South Africa

This week we visited South Africa, where near the town of Sutherland the SALT telescope (South African Large Telescope) is located.

It is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere and was internationally funded by universities all over the world.

salt

SALT was constructed in 2004-2005 and has led to some important results in the discovery of black holes and polar stars.

salt_inside

Those not disappeared into a black hole:

  • Jan_Vergouwe
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • Malcolm
  • Pascal Gilbraith
  • Paul Franson
  • hhgygy
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • ACG
  • lardarz
  • Max_Power
  • Joey
  • D Hall
  • Aaron Predeek
  • Andy McConnell
  • David Kozina

Contest #134 answer: Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico

The Arecibo Observatory is the largest single aperture radio telescope in the world. The dish is 305 m (1001 ft) in diameter and the antenna is located 150 m (500 ft) above the dish.

arecibo

It was constructed between 1960 and 1963 and got a significant upgrade in 1997

arecibo-ant

We have a record number of correct answers this week:

  • Exsanguinator
  • Ivar Bonsaksen
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • Bart Hoekstra
  • Joel Zirmer
  • Willem
  • Robert Campbell
  • Jan Depczynski
  • Dennis S.
  • hhgygy
  • LawnBoy
  • mehmet yaliman
  • ACG
  • Paul Franson
  • Ben
  • Skip
  • lardarz
  • Kate
  • BroderUlf
  • BobB
  • David S
  • Josh Muehe
  • Joey
  • Camargo, California
  • realpetko
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • Neil
  • Sarah G
  • Andy McConnell
  • Aaron Predeek
  • Andy M, USA
  • Doc Will
  • Malcolm
  • Max and Claire
  • David Kozina
  • Thomas Egan
  • Pascal Gilbraith
  • Max_Power
  • Wappaw
  • Bill Bass
  • Kate S.
  • Steven Roorda
  • Jan_Vergouwe
  • Michael T
  • Ben-Greg
  • Graham Foxall
  • Per Svolsbru
  • Andrew Smith
  • skammeb
  • Lori Simpson
  • Enrique
  • EJ

Contest #133 answer: Palomar Mountain Observatory, California

Located in the Palomar Mountain Range in San Diego County, CA, lies the Palomar Observatory. It is privately owned by Caltech and consist of three large telescopes.

hale

The largest is the 5.1 m (200″) Hale telescope, constructed in 1948 and up to 1976 the largest aperture telescope in the world.

hale_inside

Those who found a distant quasar:

  • Ivar Bonsaksen
  • hhgygy
  • Dennis S.
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • David Kozina
  • Sarah G
  • Aaron Predeek
  • Andy McConnell
  • Josh Muehe
  • realpetko
  • lardarz
  • BobB
  • Joey
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • ACG
  • BroderUlf
  • Exsanguinator
  • Max_Power
  • Ben-Greg
  • Paul Franson
  • Camargo, California

Contest #132 answer: Leipzig, Germany

This is what you might call: ‘an amazing catch’ by Google Earth: it is the gathering of Dutch soccer fans on the Burgplatz in Leipzig, Germany at the FIFA World Cup event on June 11, 2006 when the Dutch team beat the team of Serbia and Montenegro by 1-0.

leipzig_fans

Orange is the national colour in the Netherlands because the Dutch Royal Family belongs to the dynasty of the House of Orange-Nassau.

Those who managed to get a ticket for the match:

  • hhgygy
  • Joel Zirmer
  • pudra
  • Malcolm
  • Joey
  • lardarz
  • Andy McConnell
  • Exsanguinator
  • Max_Power
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • Dennis S.
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • ozlingula
  • Willem
  • Camargo, California
  • Aaron Predeek
  • Doc Will

Contest #131 answer: Eyjafjallajökull Glacier, Iceland

It seemed that this was the last we should see of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, as a volcano erupted underneath, or at least that was what the geologists thought. People were evacuated from the area because the risk of flooding as the authorities were afraid the glacier might melt. However it seemed actually that the volcano activity was a bit further away, so there was no immediate risk.

eyjafjallajokull

A recent Landsat satellite picture shows the eruption and the fume of the volcano:

eyjafjallajokull_landsat

A lot of good answers from:

  • Doc Will
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • Ivar Bonsaksen
  • hhgygy
  • Malcolm
  • Joey
  • Ewelina
  • lardarz
  • Lockwood
  • David S
  • Jan_Vergouwe
  • Jillybean
  • Exsanguinator
  • Aaron Predeek
  • Andy McConnell
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • Willem
  • N Bash
  • David Kozina
  • Max_Power
  • BobB
  • BroderUlf
  • Dennis S.
  • Sarah G
  • Josh Muehe
  • EJ