The most terrible telescope starts

ALMA (abbreviated Atacama Large Millimeter Array) , the world's largest telescope installed at the Observatory between the Atacama Desert, at an altitude of 2,900 meters, north of Chile began to operate.

ALMA telescope. (Photo: Ruvr).

This telescope marks a milestone in the international cooperation project (including Europe, North America and Japan) on the establishment of one of the most modern observatories in the world, starting construction. since 2003.

With 66 very large pan-shaped antennas, ranging in diameter from 7 to 16 meters, ALMA is able to ' catch ' light from the universe with a wavelength of about 1 millimeter and below a millimeter, meaning longer wavelengths than visible light. see thousands of times.

This long wavelength observation allows astronomers to study very cold objects in the space (often called the cold Universe), like thick clouds of cosmic dust and gas, where stars and planets are formed, as well as very far objects appear at the dawn of the universe.

It is estimated that the total cost of this radio telescope is up to $ 1.3 billion. Certainly the new insights it brings will be commensurate with the investment people have spent.