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ALMA opens for business: First image from world's most complex astronomical telescope

ALMA opens for business: First image from world's most complex astronomical telescope
Still under construction, ALMA is the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world (Photo: W. Garnier, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Still under construction, ALMA is the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world (Photo: W. Garnier, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
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This infographic compares the elevations of a few of the major observatories of the world with ALMA (Image: NRAO/AUI/NSF)
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This infographic compares the elevations of a few of the major observatories of the world with ALMA (Image: NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Still under construction, ALMA is the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world (Photo: W. Garnier, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
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Still under construction, ALMA is the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world (Photo: W. Garnier, ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array can be rearranged to suit different astronomy observing needs (Photo: Carlos Padilla, NRAO/AUI/NSF)
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The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array can be rearranged to suit different astronomy observing needs (Photo: Carlos Padilla, NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039, the Antennae, showing VLA radio (blues), past and recent starbirths in HST and CTIO optical (whites and pinks), and a selection of current star-forming regions in ALMA's mm/submm (orange and yellows) showing detail surpassing all other views in these wavelengths. Photo: NRAO/AUI/NSF; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF
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Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039, the Antennae, showing VLA radio (blues), past and recent starbirths in HST and CTIO optical (whites and pinks), and a selection of current star-forming regions in ALMA's mm/submm (orange and yellows) showing detail surpassing all other views in these wavelengths. Photo: NRAO/AUI/NSF; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF
Panoramic view of the ALMA OSF (Photo: ALMA)
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Panoramic view of the ALMA OSF (Photo: ALMA)
ALMA's millimeter/submillimeter wave test views here are represented in orange and yellows to contrast with the previous starbirth generations. ALMA images from Bands 3, 6, and 7 test data.) Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)
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ALMA's millimeter/submillimeter wave test views here are represented in orange and yellows to contrast with the previous starbirth generations. ALMA images from Bands 3, 6, and 7 test data.) Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)
The Antennae Galaxy Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF.
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The Antennae Galaxy Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF.
The Antennae Galaxy - Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039. Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF
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The Antennae Galaxy - Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039. Credit: (NRAO/AUI/NSF); ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF
The Antennae Galaxies in the constellation of Corvus. Credit: ESO, IAU and Sky & Telescope
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The Antennae Galaxies in the constellation of Corvus. Credit: ESO, IAU and Sky & Telescope
ALMA view of the Antennae Galaxies. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
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ALMA view of the Antennae Galaxies. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Antennae Galaxies composite of ALMA and Hubble observations. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO). Visible light image: the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
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Antennae Galaxies composite of ALMA and Hubble observations. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO). Visible light image: the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
Artist rendering of the ALMA Array, in one of the possible configurations. Image: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
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Artist rendering of the ALMA Array, in one of the possible configurations. Image: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
ALMA antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/W. Garnier (ALMA)
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ALMA antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/W. Garnier (ALMA)
ALMA antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau, 5000 m above sea level. Photo:ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/ J. Guarda (ALMA)
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ALMA antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau, 5000 m above sea level. Photo:ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/ J. Guarda (ALMA)
Antennas on Chajnantor. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), R. Durán (ALMA)
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Antennas on Chajnantor. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), R. Durán (ALMA)
Antennas on Chajnantor. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/W. Garnier (ALMA)
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Antennas on Chajnantor. Photo: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/W. Garnier (ALMA)
View gallery - 16 images

In a moment long-awaited by thousands of astronomers from around the globe, a cluster of precision radio telescopes located on the barren Chajnantor Plateau of northern Chile has finally gone operational. Although only partially complete, ALMA, or the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is already considered the most advanced telescope of its type. Certainly, it's the highest, with a literally breath-taking base elevation of 16,500 feet (5000m).

"We went to one of the most extreme locations on Earth to build the world's largest array of millimeter/sub-millimeter telescopes, having a level of technical sophistication that was merely a dream only a decade ago," said Dr. Mark McKinnon, Project Manager of the North American ALMA program at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia.

With 19 antennas currently deployed, the internationally-funded $1.3 billion ALMA will eventually (at completion in 2013) boast a total of 66 individual, fiber optic-linked, portable, 40-foot diameter, 115-ton radio telescopes, all functioning as one, and will cover an area of roughly 100 square miles. The massive amounts of data gathered by the array will be digested and assembled into single images by a supercomputer churning away at a blistering 17 quadrillion operations a second.

"The 'M' in ALMA stands for 'millimeter/submillimeter' waves, because ALMA views the Universe in these long wavelengths of light, much longer than the optical light we see with our eyes," said Dr. Alison Peck, an NRAO astronomer serving as ALMA Deputy Project Scientist during construction.

"With millimeter and submillimeter waves, we can watch planet formation, investigate astrochemistry and detect the light that is finally reaching us from the universe's earliest galaxies. ALMA's first projects will flex the telescope's capabilities in all of these fields and many, many more."

To lend additional flexibility to the array, the individual antennas can be moved around to suit specific project needs, using specially-designed ALMA 'transporter' vehicles.

The facility kicked off a nine month Early Science phase of operations with the release of ALMA's first image for public scrutiny: the two colliding spiral Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038 and 4039), nearly 70 million light-years away in the distant Corvus constellation. It yields details that traditional optical and infrared telescopes simply can't see. As more antennas come online, scientists expect the array to yield increasingly sharper images.

Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039, the Antennae, showing VLA radio (blues), past and recent starbirths in HST and CTIO optical (whites and pinks), and a selection of current star-forming regions in ALMA's mm/submm (orange and yellows) showing detail surpassing all other views in these wavelengths. Photo: NRAO/AUI/NSF; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF
Multiwavelength composite of interacting galaxies NGC 4038/4039, the Antennae, showing VLA radio (blues), past and recent starbirths in HST and CTIO optical (whites and pinks), and a selection of current star-forming regions in ALMA's mm/submm (orange and yellows) showing detail surpassing all other views in these wavelengths. Photo: NRAO/AUI/NSF; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); HST (NASA, ESA, and B. Whitmore (STScI)); J. Hibbard, (NRAO/AUI/NSF); NOAO/AURA/NSF

Judging from the overwhelming response of the scientific community, with nearly a hundred projects already scheduled for time on the array, ALMA has hit the ground running. "We were stunned when we received over nine hundred requests from all over the world!" said Dr. Lewis Ball, ALMA Deputy Director and NRAO's ALMA Chief of Staff.

"No other telescope on ground or in space has ever had this magnitude of over-demand."

The observatory is administered by a partnership of various agencies from Europe, Japan and North America, in cooperation with the Chilean government.

The NRAO video below provides an overview of the project.

Sources: NRAO, ALMA

ALMA Opens Its Eyes

View gallery - 16 images
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