Latest Atacama Large Millimeter Array Stories

High in the Atacama region in northern Chile, one of the world's most advanced telescopes has just passed a major milestone. The first of many state-of-the-art antennas has just been handed over to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) project. ALMA is under construction on the plateau of Chajnantor, at an altitude of 5000 m. The telescope is being built by a global partnership, including ESO as the European partner.ALMA will initially comprise 66 high precision antennas,...

Illustrating the power of submillimeter-wavelength astronomy, an APEX image reveals how an expanding bubble of ionized gas about ten light-years across is causing the surrounding material to collapse into dense clumps that are the birthplaces of new stars. Submillimeter light is the key to revealing some of the coldest material in the Universe, such as these cold, dense clouds.The region, called RCW120, is about 4200 light years from Earth, towards the constellation of Scorpius. A hot,...

In the thin, dry air of northern Chile's Atacama Desert, at an altitude of 16,500 feet, an amazing new telescope system is taking shape, on schedule to provide the world's astronomers with unprecedented views of the origins of stars, galaxies, and planets. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will open an entirely new "window" on the Universe, allowing scientists to unravel longstanding and important astronomical mysteries."Most of the photons in the Universe...

By Jane Bussey, The Miami Herald SIERRA NEGRA, Mexico -- On this windswept peak where visitors gasp in the thin air, Mexico is building the world's largest telescope of its kind, an instrument primed to be powerful enough for scientists to look back at the dawn of the universe. The Large Millimeter Telescope, located on the summit of the dormant volcano Sierra Negra, is considered Mexico's most ambitious scientific project ever. It is also currently the biggest scientific collaboration...

First ALMA Transporter Ready to GoThe first of two spectacular vehicles for the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) Observatory rolled out of its hangar and passed successfully a series of tests. This vehicle, the ALMA antenna transporter, is a rather exceptional 'lorry' driving on 28 tyres. It is 10m wide, 20m long and 6m high, weighs 130 tons and has as much power as two Formula 1 engines. This colossus will be able to transport a 115-ton antenna and set it down on a...

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) astronomical project will not only enlarge our knowledge of the vast Universe beyond the imaginable. It will also help scientists learn more about the human body. Located 5000m above sea level, in the Chilean Atacama desert, ALMA is the highest site for ground-based astronomy. This property will be put to good use for academic institutions in Chile and in Europe in order to study the human response to extreme altitude conditions. During...

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international telescope project, reached a major milestone on 2 March, when two 12-m ALMA prototype antennas were first linked together as an integrated system to observe an astronomical object. "This achievement results from the integration of many state-of-the-art components from Europe and North America and bodes well for the success of ALMA in Chile", said Catherine Cesarsky, ESO's Director General. The milestone...