The massive new observatory being built in Chile's Atacama Desert
I loved this story on the BBC website about the new Alma observatory being constructed high above the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Basically it’s a series of large dishes which will apparently work together to effectively create one massive dish – equivalent to a dish some 15km wide.
“What Alma will do is zoom in on the interesting areas and make ultra-high-resolution images that show not just a blob where the galaxies or the molecules are, but resolves in very, very fine detail the structure of those objects, whether it’s the gas discs forming around stars or the collisions between galaxies at [great distance].”
This stuff always amazes me. The science behind the construction is mind-boggling let alone the science behind interpreting what the telescope will see.
“Alma will also go after events in the very early Universe, in particular the so-called “Epoch of Re-ionisation”.
The idea of a massive telescope zooming back through time and space to have a look at events which took place at the dawn of time is just bonkers to me.
Presumably it’s all to do with the lessening acceleration of expansion of the universe which allows us to catch up with some of the early matter?
Anyone know how this stuff actually works? Post your theses here!
Anyone want to go on holiday to Chile? Call us on 01273 676 712.
The moon as seen from Chile's Atacama Salt Flats
I’m cheating a bit here as this photo was taken by my mother so I can’t claim it as my own. This photo was taken with a ‘point and shoot’ camera held up to the viewfinder of the telescope – no trickery or crazy lenses.
Last October/November my parents travelled around South America for a well deserved treat after a lifetime of working and raising three of us boys. By early November they had made it to Chile’s Atacama Desert having joined our Atacama Patagonia walking holiday group.
The combination of walking in the Atacama and Patagonia is a fairly common offering amongst tour operators to South America which is precisely why we try to do things differently. Go places other people do not, get away from the obvious to find hidden gems. This photos is a perfect example.
A few years back we discovered a French astronomer living on the edge of the salt flats near the town of San Pedro. He offered to take our clients out into the salt flats, away from any light pollution, set up some telescopes and introduce everyone to the night skies of the southern hemisphere. People enjoyed it so much that we have included it as part of the holiday ever since.
For me, this photo does two things. Firstly it reminds me how wonderful it is to be away from atmospheric and light pollution, it really is rejuvenating. Secondly, this photo makes me want to stop and stare. This is either going to be horribly corny or a statement of the bleedin’ obvious but I suspect that the romance of the moon landings has never really faded, even for those of us born after the event.
The moon is a constant presence which most of us just take for granted and yet it is completely unknown to most of us. This photo lets me stop and stare, to explore and imagine the physical features of the moon really quite vividly. I hope you enjoy it too.
Read more about our holidays to Chile or read our guide to Chile.
If you would like to go on a walking holiday to Chile and see the moon close up, as well as the rings of Saturn, the red glow of Mars…then take a look at our Atacama Patagonia holiday.