The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an
astronomical interferometer of 66
radio telescopes in the
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert ( es, Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in th ...
of northern
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, which observe
electromagnetic radiation
In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) consists of waves of the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, (visible) li ...
at millimeter and
submillimeter
Submillimetre astronomy or submillimeter astronomy (see spelling differences) is the branch of observational astronomy that is conducted at submillimetre wavelengths (i.e., terahertz radiation) of the electromagnetic spectrum. Astronomers plac ...
wavelength
In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.
It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, t ...
s. The array has been constructed on the elevation Chajnantor plateau - near the
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is the name for a group of astronomical observatories located at an altitude of over 4,800 m (15,700 ft) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is in the Antofagasta Region approximately 50 ki ...
and the
Atacama Pathfinder Experiment
The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) is a radio telescope 5,064 meters above sea level, at the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory in the Atacama desert in northern Chile, 50 km east of San Pedro de Atacama built and operated by 3 European ...
. This location was chosen for its high elevation and low
humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity dep ...
, factors which are crucial to reduce noise and decrease signal attenuation due to Earth's atmosphere.
ALMA provides insight on star birth during the early
Stelliferous era
Observations suggest that the Expansion of the universe, expansion of the universe will continue forever. The prevailing theory is that the universe will cool as it expands, eventually becoming too cold to sustain life. For this reason, this futur ...
and detailed imaging of
local
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
star and planet formation.
ALMA is an international partnership amongst
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Japan,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
Costing about US$1.4 billion, it is the most expensive ground-based telescope in operation.
ALMA began scientific observations in the second half of 2011 and the first images were released to the press on 3 October 2011. The array has been fully operational since March 2013.
Overview
The initial ALMA array is composed of 66 high-precision antennae, and operates at
wavelength
In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.
It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, t ...
s of 3.6 to 0.32 millimeters (31 to 1000 GHz). The array has much higher sensitivity and higher resolution than earlier
submillimeter telescopes such as the single-dish
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope or existing interferometer networks such as the
Submillimeter Array or the ''
Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique'' (IRAM)
Plateau de Bure facility.
The antennae can be moved across the desert plateau over distances from 150 m to 16 km, which will give ALMA a powerful variable "zoom", similar in its concept to that employed at the centimeter-wavelength
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twent ...
(VLA) site in
New Mexico, United States.
The high sensitivity is mainly achieved through the large numbers of antenna dishes that make up the array.
The telescopes were provided by the European, North American and East Asian partners of ALMA. The American and European partners each provided twenty-five 12-meter diameter antennae, for a subtotal of fifty antennae, that compose the main array. The participating East Asian countries are contributing 16 antennae (four 12-meter diameter and twelve 7-meter diameter antennae) in the form of the Atacama Compact Array (ACA), which is part of the enhanced ALMA.
By using smaller antennae than the main ALMA array, larger fields of view can be imaged at a given frequency using ACA. Placing the antennae closer together enables the imaging of sources of larger angular extent. The ACA works together with the main array in order to enhance the latter's wide-field imaging capability.
History
ALMA has its conceptual roots in three astronomical projects — the Millimeter Array (MMA) of the United States, the Large Southern Array (LSA) of Europe, and the Large Millimeter Array (LMA) of Japan.
The first step toward the creation of what would become ALMA came in 1997, when the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the
European Southern Observatory (ESO) agreed to pursue a common project that merged the MMA and LSA. The merged array combined the sensitivity of the LSA with the frequency coverage and superior site of the MMA. ESO and NRAO worked together in technical, science, and management groups to define and organise a joint project between the two observatories with participation by Canada and Spain (the latter became a member of ESO later).
A series of resolutions and agreements led to the choice of "Atacama Large Millimeter Array", or ALMA, as the name of the new array in March 1999 and the signing of the ALMA Agreement on 25 February 2003, between the North American and European parties. ("Alma" means "soul" in Spanish and "learned" or "knowledgeable" in Arabic.) Following mutual discussions over several years, the ALMA Project received a proposal from the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) whereby Japan would provide the ACA (Atacama Compact Array) and three additional receiver bands for the large array, to form Enhanced ALMA. Further discussions between ALMA and NAOJ led to the signing of a high-level agreement on 14 September 2004 that makes Japan an official participant in Enhanced ALMA, to be known as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 6, 2003 and the ALMA logo was unveiled.
During an early stage of the planning of ALMA, it was decided to employ ALMA antennae designed and constructed by known companies in North America, Europe, and Japan, rather than using one single design. This was mainly for political reasons. Although very different approaches have been chosen by the providers, each of the antenna designs appears to be able to meet ALMA's stringent requirements. The components designed and manufactured across Europe were transported by specialist aerospace and astrospace logistics company Route To Space Alliance, 26 in total which were delivered to Antwerp for onward shipment to Chile.
Funding
ALMA was initially a 50-50 collaboration between the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory and
European Southern Observatory (ESO) and later extended with the help of the other Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chilean partners. ALMA is the largest and most expensive ground-based astronomical project, costing between US$1.4 and 1.5 billion.
(However, various space astronomy projects including the
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most vers ...
, the
James Webb Space Telescope, and several major planet probes have cost considerably more).
;Partners
*
European Southern Observatory and the European Regional Support Centre
*
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
via the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the North American ALMA Science Center
*
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research & development. It is the largest federal research ...
*
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) under the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
* ALMA-
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
at the
Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics (ASIAA)
* Republic of Chile
Construction
![Atacama-52_(25876789334)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Atacama-52_%2825876789334%29.jpg)
The complex was built primarily by European, U.S., Japanese, and Canadian companies and
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
. Three prototype antennae have undergone evaluation at the
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twent ...
since 2002.
General Dynamics C4 Systems and its SATCOM Technologies division was contracted by Associated Universities, Inc. to provide twenty-five of the 12 m antennae, while European manufacturer
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufactur ...
provided the other twenty-five principal antennae (in the largest-ever European industrial contract in ground-based astronomy). Japan's
Mitsubishi Electric was contracted to assemble NAOJ's 16 antennae. The antennae were delivered to the site from December 2008 to September 2013.
Transporting the antennae
![Atacama-63_(25876802034)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Atacama-63_%2825876802034%29.jpg)
Transporting the 115
tonne
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
antennae from the Operations Support Facility at 2900 m altitude to the site at 5000 m,
or moving antennae around the site to change the array size, presents enormous challenges; as portrayed in the television documentary ''Monster Moves: Mountain Mission''. The solution chosen is to use two custom 28-wheel self-loading
heavy hauler
A heavy hauler is a very large transporter for moving oversize loads too large for road travel without an escort and special permit.
A heavy hauler typically consists of a Ballast Tractor and hydraulic modular trailer. Some trailers may have ...
s. The vehicles were made by in Germany and are 10 m wide, 20 m long and 6 m high, weighing 130 tonnes. They are powered by twin
turbocharged 500 kW
Diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
s.
The transporters, which feature a driver's seat designed to accommodate an
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...
tank to aid breathing the thin high-altitude air, place the antennae precisely on the pads. The first vehicle was completed and tested in July 2007. Both transporters were delivered to the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF) in Chile on 15 February 2008.
On 7 July 2008, an ALMA transporter moved an antenna for the first time, from inside the antenna assembly building (Site Erection Facility) to a pad outside the building for testing (holographic surface measurements).
![ALMA transporter known as Otto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/ALMA_transporter_known_as_Otto.jpg)
During Autumn 2009, the first three antennae were transported one-by-one to the Array Operations Site. At the end of 2009, a team of ALMA astronomers and engineers successfully linked three antennae at the elevation observing site thus finishing the first stage of assembly and integration of the fledgling array. Linking three antennae allows corrections of errors that can arise when only two antennae are used, thus paving the way for precise, high-resolution imaging. With this key step, commissioning of the instrument began 22 January 2010.
On 28 July 2011, the first European antenna for ALMA arrived at the Chajnantor plateau, 5,000 meters above sea level, to join 15 antennae already in place from the other international partners. This was the number of antennae specified for ALMA to begin its first science observations, and was therefore an important milestone for the project. In October 2012, 43 of the 66 antennae had been set up.
Scientific results
Images from initial testing
![HL_Tau_protoplanetary_disk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/HL_Tau_protoplanetary_disk.jpg)
By the summer of 2011, sufficient telescopes were operational during the extensive program of testing prior to the Early Science phase for the first images to be captured. These early images gave a first glimpse of the potential of the new array that will produce much better quality images in the future as the scale of the array continues to increase.
The target of the observation was a pair of colliding galaxies with dramatically distorted shapes, known as the
Antennae Galaxies
The Antennae Galaxies (also known as NGC 4038/NGC 4039 or Caldwell 60/Caldwell 61) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They are currently going through a starburst phase, in which the collision of clouds of gas and du ...
. Although ALMA did not observe the entire galaxy merger, the result is the best submillimeter-wavelength image ever made of the Antennae Galaxies, showing the clouds of dense cold gas from which new stars form, which cannot be seen using visible light.
Comet studies
On 11 August 2014, astronomers released studies, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) for the first time, that detailed the distribution of
HCN,
HNC,
H2CO, and
dust
Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in ho ...
inside the
comae of
comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...
s
C/2012 F6 (Lemmon)
C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) is a long-period comet discovered in Leo on 23 March 2012, by A. R. Gibbs using the 1.5-m reflector at the Mt. Lemmon Survey, located at the summit of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona ...
and
C/2012 S1 (ISON).
Planetary formation
An image of the protoplanetary disc surrounding
HL Tauri (a very young
T Tauri star
T Tauri stars (TTS) are a class of variable stars that are less than about ten million years old. This class is named after the prototype, T Tauri, a young star in the Taurus star-forming region. They are found near molecular clouds and ide ...
in the constellation
Taurus
Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to:
* Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign
* Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
* Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus
* '' Bos tauru ...
) was made public in 2014, showing a series of concentric bright rings separated by gaps, indicating protoplanet formation. , most theories did not expect planetary formation in such a young (100,000-1,000,000-year-old) system, so the new data spurred renewed theories of protoplanetary development. One theory suggests that the faster accretion rate might be due to the complex magnetic field of the protoplanetary disc.
Event Horizon Telescope
ALMA participated in the Event Horizon Telescope project, which produced the first direct image of a
black hole, published in 2019.
Phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus
ALMA participated in the claimed
detection of phosphine, a biomarker, in the air of Venus. As no known non-biological source of phosphine on Venus could produce phosphine in the concentrations detected, this would have indicated the presence of biological organisms in the atmosphere of Venus.
However, this theory has since been overturned, and a reanalysis indicates that there is no phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.
Global collaboration
![The future ALMA array on Chajnantor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/The_future_ALMA_array_on_Chajnantor.jpg)
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by the
European Southern Observatory (ESO), in North America by the U.S.
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
(NSF) in cooperation with the
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to:
* National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development
* National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome
* National Research Council (United States), part of ...
of Canada (NRC) and the
National Science Council
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC; ) is a statutory agency of Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for the promotion and funding of academic research, development of science and technology and science parks. NSTC is ...
of Taiwan (NSC) and in East Asia by the
National Institutes of Natural Sciences
The (NINS) is an inter-university research institute corporation consisting of five member institutes: the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Astronomical Observatory (NAOJ), the National Institute for fusion Science, Japan, Nat ...
of Japan (NINS) in cooperation with the
Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan. ALMA construction and operations are led on behalf of Europe by ESO, on behalf of North America by the
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), which is managed by
Associated Universities, Inc
Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a research management corporation that builds and operates facilities for the research community. AUI is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, headquartered in Washington, DC. The President is Dr. Adam ...
(AUI) and on behalf of East Asia by the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA. Its current director since February 2018 is
Sean Dougherty.
ALMA regional centre (ARC)
The ALMA regional centre (ARC) has been designed as an interface between user communities of the major contributors of the ALMA project and the JAO. Activates for operating the ARC have also divided into the three main regions involved (Europe, North America and East Asia). The European ARC (led by
ESO) has been further subdivided into ARC-nodes located across Europe in Bonn-Bochum-Cologne, Bologna, Ondřejov,
Onsala
Onsala () is a locality situated in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 11,951 inhabitants in 2010. It is also a 14 km long peninsula on the west coast of Sweden, facing Kattegat, south of Gothenburg. It dates back to t ...
,
IRAM (Grenoble), Leiden and
JBCA (Manchester).
The core purpose of the ARC is to assist the user community with the preparation of observing proposals, ensure observing programs meet their scientific goals efficiently, run a help-desk for submitting proposals and observing programs, delivering the data to principal investigators, maintenance of the ALMA data archive, assistance with the calibration of data and providing user feedback.
Project detail
![Still from 2012 ALMA Video Compilation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Still_from_2012_ALMA_Video_Compilation.jpg)
* At least 50
antennae of 12 m diameter located at an elevation of 5,000 m at
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is the name for a group of astronomical observatories located at an altitude of over 4,800 m (15,700 ft) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is in the Antofagasta Region approximately 50 ki ...
, enhanced by a compact array of 4 x 12 m and 12 x 7 m
antennae (in 2006, consortium considered whether to build 50 or 64 of the 12 m ones
After a Tough Year, ALMA's Star Begins to Rise at Last
* Imaging
Imaging is the representation or reproduction of an object's form; especially a visual representation (i.e., the formation of an image).
Imaging technology is the application of materials and methods to create, preserve, or duplicate images.
...
instrument in all atmospheric windows between 350 μm and 10 mm
* Array configurations from approximately 150 m to 14 km
* Spatial resolution
In physics and geosciences, the term spatial resolution refers to distance between independent measurements, or the physical dimension that represents a pixel of the image. While in some instruments, like cameras and telescopes, spatial resolut ...
of 10 milliarcsecond
A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn (or complete rotation), one minute of arc is of a turn. The n ...
s (10−7 radians), 10 times better than the Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twent ...
(VLA) and 5 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most vers ...
, but still considerably lower than the resolution achieved with optical and infrared interferometers.
* The ability to image sources arcminute
A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn (or complete rotation), one minute of arc is of a turn. The n ...
s to degrees across at one arcsecond resolution
* Velocity resolution under 50 m/s
* Faster and more flexible imaging instrument than the Very Large Array
* Largest and most sensitive instrument in the world at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths
* Point source detection sensitivity 20 times better than the Very Large Array
* Data reduction system will be CASA (Common Astronomy Software Applications) which is a new software package based on AIPS++
Atacama Compact Array
![The Atacama Compact Array](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/The_Atacama_Compact_Array.jpg)
The Atacama Compact Array, ACA, is a subset of 16 closely separated antennae that will greatly improve ALMA's ability to study celestial objects with a large angular size, such as molecular clouds and nearby galaxies. The antennae forming the Atacama Compact Array, four 12-meter antennae and twelve 7-meter antennae, were produced and delivered by Japan. In 2013, the Atacama Compact Array was named the Morita Array after Professor Koh-ichiro Morita, a member of the Japanese ALMA team and designer of the ACA, who died on 7 May 2012 in Santiago.
Work stoppage
In August 2013, workers at the telescope went on strike to demand better pay and working conditions. This is one of the first strikes to affect an astronomical observatory. The work stoppage began after the observatory failed to reach an agreement with the workers' union. After 17 days an agreement was reached providing for reduced schedules and higher pay for work done at high altitude.
In March 2020, ALMA was shut down due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. It also delayed the cycle 8 proposal submission deadline and suspended public visits to the site.
Project timeline
Videos and gallery
File:2012 ALMA Video Compilation.ogv, Video compilation showing various aspects of ALMA.
File:Visualisation of ALMA as an interferometer.ogv, This artist's rendering of the ALMA array on the Chajnantor plateau shows how, as an interferometer, ALMA acts like a single telescope with a diameter as large as the distance between its individual antennae (represented by the blue circle).
File:ALMA by Leonardo Testi.ogg, A talk on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), by Leonardo Testi.
File:ESOcast 51 All Systems Go for Highest Altitude Supercomputer.ogv, ESOcast 51: Video report about the ALMA correlator. (in HD)
File:Scenes from the ALMA Inauguration day.ogv, This video clip shows the distinguished guests, including the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique OMCh (; born 1 December 1949) is a Chilean billionaire businessman and politician who served as president of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022.
The son of a Christian Democratic polit ...
, arriving at the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF), located at an altitude of 2900 meters in the Atacama Desert in Chile for the inauguration of the giant telescope. The guests are shown with one of the giant ALMA transporters as well as other components.
File:The ALMA Inauguration.ogg, Share the excitement of the inauguration ceremony and contemplate the breathtaking images from ALMA itself and views of its unique environment in the Atacama Desert.
File:ISS Astronauts Congratulate ALMA Partners.ogg, This video shows ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...
astronauts congratulating the ALMA Partners on the occasion of its inauguration.
File:The movie ALMA — In Search of our Cosmic Origins.ogv, This 16-minute video presents the history of ALMA from the origins of the project several decades ago to the recent first science results. (in HD)
File:ALMA from the Air.ogg, This video begins near the ground of the Chajnantor Plateau, at 5000 meters altitude in the Chilean Andes, and later takes in views of the 58 antennae that make up the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.
File:ALMA Operations and the Magellanic Clouds.ogg, Time-lapse video at the ALMA Array Operations Site (AOS).
File:ALMA aerial view.webm, A drone camera flies overhead the ALMA observatory, showing the 66 telescopes that make up the array in the wilderness of Chile's Atacama desert.
File:The final ALMA antenna is handed over to the observatory.ogg, On 30 September 2013 the final ALMA antenna was handed over to the ALMA Observatory. This video shows the antenna being moved on the giant transporter called "Otto". The 12-meter-diameter dish was manufactured by the European AEM Consortium and also marks the successful delivery of a total of 25 European antennae — the largest ESO contract so far.
File:ALMA 2012 Relocation Compilation.ogv, ALMA 2012 relocation compilation.
Image:A view across the plains of Chajnantor with the ALMA construction site at the centre.jpg, A view across the plains of Chajnantor with the ALMA construction site at the center.
File:The final ALMA antenna arrives at Chajnantor.ogg, The final antenna for the project is here seen arriving to the high site at the observatory, 5000 meters above sea level.
File:ALMA Transporter.png, The 130-ton ALMA antenna transporter "Otto" during its naming ceremony.
File:ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Load).jpg, ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Load)
File:ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Scale).jpg, ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Scale)
File:Alma antenna in transit.jpg, Image of telescope in transit at the Site Erection Facility.
File:ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Landscape).jpg, ALMA en route to Chajnantor
File:ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Portrait).jpg, ALMA en route to Chajnantor
File:ALMA Antenna Transporter Inspection.jpg, A worker inspects a transporter.
File:Arrival of First Three Japanese Antennas.jpg, Arrival of First Three Japanese Antennae
File:Positioning an Antenna at 5000 Metres.jpg, Positioning an Antenna at 5000 Meters
File:Moonrise above the 12 metres wide access road to the ALMA High Site.jpg, Moonrise above the 12 meter wide access road to the ALMA High Site.
File:ALMA antenna moves.ogg, ALMA antenna moves.
File:The ALMA Residencia.jpg, ALMA Residencia.
File:Looking over to the ALMA site from APEX.jpg, Looking over to the ALMA site from APEX.
File:ALMA Site (artist's impression).jpg, ALMA site
File:A Digital Highway to ALMA.jpg, A Digital Highway to ALMA.
See also
*
Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), single dish submillimeter telescope built on a modified ALMA prototype antenna
*
Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment
The Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) is a 10-meter-diameter antenna built by Mitsubishi Electric as a preprototype for ALMA.
The ASTE was deployed to its site on Pampa La Bola, near Cerro Chajnantor and the Llano de Chajnantor O ...
*
CARMA a sensitive millimeter-wave array operated by a consortium including Caltech, University of California Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Maryland and University of Chicago
*
Cosmic Background Imager
The Cosmic Background Imager (or CBI) was a 13-element interferometer perched at an elevation of 5,080 metres (16,700 feet) at Llano de Chajnantor Observatory in the Chilean Andes. It started operations in 1999 to study the cosmic microwave bac ...
a 13 element interferometer operating in Llano de Chajnantor since 1999.
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IRAM 30 Meter Telescope (
Pico Veleta,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
), the largest millimetric telescope in the world, operated by IRAM
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List of astronomical observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
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ALESS 073.1
References
External links
Official ALMA siteNRAO ALMA siteUK ALMA siteESO ALMA siteby
NAOJ
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ALMA Antennas Collect First Data, ''
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'', 17 November 2009.
'', 12 March 2013.
SPIE Newsroom, 5 June 2014.