Alma telescope peers into space from Chile's mountains

[Judi Lynn]

Alma telescope peers into space from Chile's mountains

By Gideon Long
BBC News, Chajnantour Plateau, Chile


29 May 2016


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The dishes measure up to 12m (39ft) in diameter
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On a bitterly cold afternoon, a small team of engineers moves slowly across Chile's Chajnantor plateau.

Bundled up against the biting wind, they stop under one of the dozens of giant telescopic dishes scattered across the moon-like landscape.

They unfold a stepladder and clamber up into the back of the dish to carry out routine maintenance.
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Each man carries oxygen. At over 5,000m (16,400ft) above sea level, the air here is so thin it is difficult to breathe.

Flurries of snow blow across the plateau. The temperature is -5C, with a wind chill factor of -19C.

'Giant chess board'

This is Alma, the most powerful radio telescope in the world and one of the most extraordinary places in Chile.


Alma telescope



More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36357501

Science:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/122847355

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[tonyt53]

1. Good stuff! Thanks for posting.

[CrispyQ]

2. Love this stuff!

The dishes can be moved across the plateau like pieces on a giant chess board. Each one weighs 100 tonnes.

The engineers use two massive yellow trucks to haul them into place.

Sometimes the dishes are placed right next to each other. At other times they are up to 15km apart.

Their positioning determines which part of the universe they point toward.

The dishes then work in unison, detecting radio waves from outer space. The waves are converted into data by a super-computer, as powerful as three million laptops, and that data is sent to Alma's operations centre down the mountainside in the relative warmth at 2,900m.

[Judi Lynn]

3. So cool! I saw one getting hauled, but didn't know they can move them now at will!

Unbelievably great.

Thank you!

[CrispyQ]

4. The 4th & last photos are my faves.

I love the mountain looming over the scopes in the 4th one & the nighttime effect on the last one is fab! Thanks for posting!