Warming up in the Sun

This picture of the week shows six of ALMA’s sixty-six antennas, located on the Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Atacama desert. But why are they pointed at the Sun? This photograph was taken in March 2023 after a snowfall, and some snow had accumulated on the antennas. Aiming them at the Sun helps to thaw the snow.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) observes radiation from the coldest objects in the Universe. By observing this light, emitted often by the vast, frigid gas clouds out of which stars and galaxies form, ALMA is able to see the Universe in its earliest eras and aims to uncover our cosmic origins.

ALMA is operated by ESO together with international partners.