Simons Observatory

A new-generation cosmic microwave background observatory located in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

About

Funded by the Simons Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation, the observatory will consist of three small-aperture telescopes and one large-aperture telescope, observing between 10 percent and 40 percent of the sky at multiple frequencies. The high-fidelity SO data will be a unique window to our universe, allowing scientists to tackle questions on the primordial universe, neutrino physics, cosmological constant and dark energy, as well as galaxy evolution.

The Simons Observatory collaboration consists of approximately 200 scientists from more than 40 institutions around the world. This collaboration is the first attempt at merging two cosmic microwave background (CMB) teams, from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the Polar Bear/Simons Array experiments, now working together toward a common scientific goal.

People

A man with short dark hair, a beard, and hoop earrings, wearing a black turtleneck, stands indoors with a neutral expression and a blurred background.

Simone Aiola

Data and Pipeline Project Leader, Center for Computational Astrophysics

Portrait photo of Brian Keating

Brian Keating

Director, Simons Observatory

Adrian Lee

Co-Director, Simons Observatory

Suzanne Staggs

Co-Director, Simons Observatory

Video Archive

Speaker

Brian Keating

Portrait photo of Brian Keating