ESOcast 17: Constructing ALMA — The World's Largest Observatory

High on the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes, the first antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array, or ALMA for short, move in unison.

Work progresses at a frantic pace in this ambitious project, which, in a few years from now, will consist of 66 antennas, working together at an altitude of 5000 metres. Once completed, ALMA will enable astronomers to study the cold Universe in unprecedented detail.

ALMA, an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of Europe, North America and East Asia in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ESO is the European partner in ALMA.

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Credit:

ESO. Visual design and editing: Martin Kornmesser and Luis Calada. Cinematography: Peter Rixner. Editing: Herbert Zodet. Web and technical support: Lars Holm Nielsen and Raquel Yumi Shida. Written by: Herbert Zodet, Henri Boffin, Douglas Pierce-Price and Eric Hal Schwartz. Host: Dr. J. Narration: Gaitee Hussain. Music: John Dyson (from the albums "Darklight" and "Moonwind"). Footage and photos: ESO. Directed by: Herbert Zodet. Executive producer: Lars Lindberg Christensen.

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