The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere and among the largest in the world. It has a hexagonal primary mirror array 11 metres across, comprising 91 individual 1.2m hexagonal mirrors. SALT has a redesigned optical system resulting in a larger field of view and effective collecting area.
General Astrophysics
General Astrophysics
Course Outline:
- Stellar Astronomy
- Basic stellar properties
- Stellar colours
- Black bodies
- Boltzmann and Saha equations
- Binary systems
- Stellar atmospheres
- Radiative equilibria
- Radiative transfer
- Spectral lines
- HR diagram
- Galaxies
- History
- Elliptical Galaxies
- Spiral Galaxies
- Dwarf Galaxies
- Groups and Clusters of Galaxies
- Lensing and Active Galaxies
- Galaxy Evolution
- Cosmology
- Age of the Universe
- The Distance Scale
- Large Scale Structure
- Dark Matter, Inflation and the CMB
- Big Bang and The Early Universe
- Galaxy Formation