Atacama Large Millimeter Array: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:42, 30 September 2011

Revision as of 20:47, 30 September 2011

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The '''Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array''' ('''ALMA''') is an international partnership between Europe, North America, East Asia and the Republic of [[Chile]] to build the largest [[astronomy|astronomical]] project in the world.{{fact|date=September 2011}}

It is an [[astronomical interferometer]] array, consisting of 66 12-meter and 7-meter diameter [[radio telescope]]s observing at millimeter and submillimeter [[wavelength]]s. It is being built on the [[Llano de Chajnantor Observatory|Chajnantor plateau]] at 5000 meters [[altitude]] in the [[Atacama]] desert of northern Chile. ALMA is expected to provide insight on star birth during the early universe and detailed imaging of local star and planet formation. Costing more than a [[billion]] [[US dollar]]s, it is the most ambitiousexpensive ground-based telescope currently under construction. ALMA will begin scientific observations in the second half of 2011 and is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2012.

==Overview==