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| The road leading upto the ALMA (Atacama Large Milllimeter Array) project site. A joint project involving USA, Canada, Europe and Chile. More info at http://www.alma.cl/
This array of 64 telescopes is located in the Atacama Desert of Chile because the sky above has the unsurpassed clarity and stability essential for millimeter wave astronomy. The millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation that ALMA will study is able to penetrate the vast clouds of dust and gas that populate interstellar and intergalactic space, revealing previously hidden details about astronomical objects. This energy, however, is blocked by atmospheric moisture here on Earth. To conduct research in this critical portion of the spectrum, astronomers need a site that is very dry, and preferably at a very high altitude where the atmosphere is thinner. Extensive tests showed that the sky above the high-altitude Chajnantor plain in the Atacama Desert has the unsurpassed clarity and stability needed to perform efficient observations with ALMA. |
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| Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ10 | Date: 11/12/07 2:58 PM | Resolution: 2304 x 1728 | ISO: 100 | Exp. Time: 1/1300s | Aperture: 5.2 | Focal Length: 36.4mm (=219mm) |
| Total images: 34 | Help |