SMA Observer Center

The primary portal for proposers, observers, and the astronomical community to access the Submillimeter Array.

01 — The Array

The Submillimeter Array

The Submillimeter Array (SMA) is an 8-element radio interferometer located atop Maunakea in Hawaiʻi. Operating at frequencies from 180 GHz to 418 GHz, the 6 m dishes may be arranged into configurations with baselines as long as 509 m, producing a synthesized beam of sub-arcsecond width.

Each element can observe with two receivers simultaneously, with 12 GHz bandwidth each per sideband, for a total of 48 GHz processed bandwidth. The digital correlator backend provides a uniform resolution of 140 kHz across the entire processed bandwidth.

The Submillimeter Array is a joint venture of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Elements

6 m

Dish Diameter

180–418

Frequency (GHz)

509 m

Max Baseline

48 GHz

Total Bandwidth

140 kHz

Spectral Resolution

02 — News & Announcements

Current Status

ARRAY STATUS

Current Semester

The SMA is in COM (Compact) Configuration

The SMA will remain in compact configuration through September 2026. EXT or SUB configurations will be considered for the final six weeks of the semester, depending upon proposal pressure. View Configuration Schedule →

PROPOSALS

2026 Mar 5

2026A Proposal Deadline Has Passed

TAC process underway; results available by mid-April. You may continue to create and edit draft proposals from your SMA Project Account.

UPGRADE

Ongoing

wSMA Receiver Upgrades in Progress

As of February 2026, two antennas are fully upgraded with wSMA systems, a third is nearing deployment, and a fourth system is delivered and in staging. By mid-2026, as many as five antennas will be upgraded.

03 — Observer Resources