====== Microwave telescopes ======

^ Telescope Name ^ Location ^ Frequency Range ^ Number of Antennas ^ Key Scientific Objectives ^ Notable Features ^
| **Planck Satellite** | Space (ESA mission) | 30–857 GHz | Single satellite with multiple detectors | Cosmic microwave background (CMB), cosmology, early Universe structure | High-resolution CMB maps, provided detailed all-sky surveys |
| **ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array)** | Atacama Desert, Chile | 30–950 GHz | 66 antennas | Star formation, protoplanetary disks, galaxy evolution | High-altitude location for minimal atmospheric interference; exceptional sensitivity and resolution |
| **South Pole Telescope (SPT)** | South Pole, Antarctica | 90–220 GHz | Single 10m dish | CMB, galaxy clusters, cosmology | Extremely dry, stable atmosphere at South Pole allows for high-frequency CMB observations |
| **GBT (Green Bank Telescope)** | West Virginia, USA | 0.3–116 GHz | Single 100m dish | Molecular clouds, galaxy dynamics, pulsar studies | Largest fully steerable dish, sensitive at microwave frequencies |
| **ACT (Atacama Cosmology Telescope)** | Atacama Desert, Chile | 90–150 GHz | Single 6m dish | CMB, galaxy clusters, dark energy | Specializes in CMB observations with high sensitivity; located at high altitude |
| **WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe)** | Space (NASA mission) | 23–94 GHz | Single satellite with multiple detectors | CMB, early Universe, cosmological parameters | First high-resolution all-sky CMB map, provided key cosmological data |
| **NRAO 12m Telescope** | Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA | 18–115 GHz | Single 12m dish | Molecular lines, star-forming regions, Galactic studies | Used extensively for molecular line studies, contributed to CMB research |
| **JCMT (James Clerk Maxwell Telescope)** | Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA | 230–850 GHz | Single 15m dish | Dusty galaxies, molecular clouds, star formation | High-frequency sensitivity, optimal for molecular gas and dust studies |
| **APEX (Atacama Pathfinder Experiment)** | Atacama Desert, Chile | 211–1500 GHz | Single 12m dish | Star formation, molecular clouds, high-redshift galaxies | Located near ALMA for southern-sky coverage; studies molecular gas and dust in early galaxies |
| **LLAMA (Large Latin American Millimeter Array)** | Alto Chorrillos, Argentina (under construction) | 35–700 GHz | 1 x 12m antenna | Star formation, AGNs, molecular gas studies | High-altitude location, expected to collaborate with ALMA and APEX for high-frequency observations |