South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) telescope domes, with a full Moon rising behind them. The domes house telescopes with (left) and 0.

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South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) telescope domes, with a full Moon rising behind them. The domes house telescopes with (left) and (right) metre diameter mirrors. This observatory is based at Sutherland, South Africa. The lower parts of the buildings are encircled by metal blinds, which reflect sunlight, helping to maintain a constant temperature inside. This site has an altitude of 1800 metres, which places it above much of the cloud and far away from light pollution. The observatory was opened in the early 1970s.

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Size: 5150px × 3425px
Photo credit: © JOHN K. DAVIES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: , , africa, african, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysics, couple, dome, domes, equipment, full, metre, moon, night, observatory, optical, pair, research, rise, rising, saao, sky, south, sutherland, telescope