The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)

The South African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland is home to the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). This is the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The reason SALT was erected outside the town of Sutherland, some 370km from Cape Town, is because it is one of a handful of locations in the world that is ideal for stargazing. Here the dark, unpolluted night skies are so clear they offer perfect viewing and the area is known as the “Gateway to the universe.”