The Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST), which stands at an altitude of over 5,600 meters above sea level near Cerro Chajnantor in Chile’s Parque Astronómico Atacama, was inaugurated in a festive ceremony on April 9, 2026.
The ceremony, which was somewhat like a “topping-out ceremony” (there are still many tasks and testing to be completed before the telescope becomes operational), took place at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, which is also located on Cerro Chajnantor. Over 100 guests were invited, including representatives from the Argelander Institute for Astronomy (AIfA), some of whom play leading roles in the scientific aspects of the FYST.
Prof. Dr. Frank Bertoldi of the AIfA and CCAT Board Member: "FYST will create a globally unique observatory that will set new standards in submillimeter astronomy. We are proud that the University of Bonn is involved in this project, and we are excited to see the results of the planned deep sky surveys, which will tell us more about the formation of stars and galaxies, the evolution of cosmic structures and the origin of the universe."
