South African Telescope

In the Geo Quiz, we’re looking for a town that has a reputation as one of coldest places in South Africa. That means it gets snow in July, a downside for some.

But its location in a vast desert called the Great Karoo makes it a perfect place to view the night sky. It’s remote and away from city lights. That’s why the Southern African Large Telescope, nicknamed SALT, is there. It’s the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. So, name this town located in the Northern Cape province if you can…

The answer is the town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It’s just one of many vantage points for Seattle-based photographer, Nick Risinger, who traveled the world to create the first and largest-ever, true-color, 360 degree panorama of the night sky. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with him.