Precise measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background are one of the the most powerful tools available to modern observational cosmology. The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a brand new instrument that will map the CMB sky to lower noise and higher resolution than previous measurements making it possible to measure the high-el CMB power spectrum and to perform galaxy cluster surveys using the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect.
The SPT achieved first light on Feb 16, 2007 and is nearing the end of its first Austral winter observations. I will discuss the current status of the SPT and planned future observations and upgrades.