Atacama Large Millimeter Array

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an astronomical interferometer of 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, which observe electromagnetic radiation at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The array has been constructed on the 5,000 m (16,000 ft) elevation Chajnantor plateau - near the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. This location was chosen for its high elevation and low humidity, factors which are crucial to reduce noise and decrease signal attenuation due to Earth's atmosphere. ALMA is expected to provide insight on star birth during the early Stelliferous era and detailed imaging of local star and planet formation.Video compilation showing various aspects of ALMA.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 antennas (represented by the blue circle).A talk on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), by Leonardo Testi.ESOcast 51: Video report about the ALMA correlator. (in HD)This video clip shows the distinguished guests, including the President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, 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.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.This video shows ISS astronauts congratulating the ALMA Partners on the occasion of its inauguration.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)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.Time-lapse video at the ALMA Array Operations Site (AOS).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.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 antennas — the largest ESO contract so far.ALMA 2012 relocation compilation.A view across the plains of Chajnantor with the ALMA construction site at the center.The final antenna for the project is here seen arriving to the high site at the observatory, 5000 meters above sea level.The 130-ton ALMA antenna transporter 'Otto' during its naming ceremony.ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Load)ALMA en route to Chajnantor (Scale)Image of telescope in transit at the Site Erection Facility.ALMA en route to ChajnantorALMA en route to ChajnantorA worker inspects a transporter.Arrival of First Three Japanese AntennasPositioning an Antenna at 5000 MetersMoonrise above the 12 meter wide access road to the ALMA High Site.ALMA antenna moves.ALMA Residencia.Looking over to the ALMA site from APEX.ALMA siteA Digital Highway to ALMA. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an astronomical interferometer of 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, which observe electromagnetic radiation at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The array has been constructed on the 5,000 m (16,000 ft) elevation Chajnantor plateau - near the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. This location was chosen for its high elevation and low humidity, factors which are crucial to reduce noise and decrease signal attenuation due to Earth's atmosphere. ALMA is expected to provide insight on star birth during the early Stelliferous era and detailed imaging of local star and planet formation. ALMA is an international partnership among Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile. 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. The initial ALMA array is composed of 66 high-precision antennas, and operates at wavelengths of 9.6 to 0.3 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 antennas 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 centimetre-wavelength Very Large Array (VLA) site in New Mexico, United States.