Final answer:
The largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere is located in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, in a high, dark, and dry environment that is ideal for astronomical observations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere is found in South Africa's Northern Cape Province. This telescope allows researchers to observe the southern skies with exceptional clarity due to its location, which is high, dark, and dry. These conditions are ideal for astronomical observatories and are also found in places like the dry desert of the Chilean Andes Mountains, the desert peaks of Arizona, the Canary Islands, and Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
The largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere is found in Chile, specifically in the Andes Mountains