Front-row view of the Universe

The majestic star-filled skies of the Southern Hemisphere rotate overhead in this timelapse footage showing a view across the breathtaking Chajnantor Plateau in the Chilean Atacama Desert. It is from this location at an altitude of 5000 metres that the giant dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observe the Universe, helping astronomers to study the building blocks of stars, planetary systems, galaxies and life. ALMA is the most powerful astronomical observatory of its kind, enabling it to make the very most of the exceptional viewing conditions at this site.