MAKING SALT A REALITY

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), for which the South Afric an government has committed R50 million, will be the largest single te lescope in the southern hemisphere, and only slightly smaller than the largess in the world. Making a project on this scale a working, effec tive reality means careful scientific and technical planning, and vigo rous discussion. In a workshop held in Cape Town in March, scientists, industry representatives and educators considered how best to build a nd use SALT to maximise benefits both to South Africa and to its overs eas partners. With a revised design now almost identical to the Hobby- Eberly telescope just entering operation in Texas, it should be possib le to achieve full performance from this innovative design relatively quickly. When finished, it will be able to defect a candle at the dist ance of the Moon.