This sunspot was captured in microwaves, not visible light.
Young Star In Nearby Galaxy Creates Complex Molecules
A young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud has formed a hot molecular core where interesting chemistry is just beginning.
ALMA Deep Field
ALMA has seen clues of star formation in some of the most distant galaxies.
Milk Of Heaven
Cold gas and dust emits faint light in the submillimeter range, so to study this material we need good radio telescopes.
How Does Interferometry Work?
One of the more powerful techniques of radio astronomy is the use of interferometry to combine the signals of several radio antennas into a single virtual telescope. Through interferometry we can make radio images with resolutions greater than that of the Hubble telescope. But how does interferometry work?
Place of Departure
Chajnantor means “place of departure,” or more poetically “place of ascension” in the Kunza language of the Atacama region. It is a plateau about 5000 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level. It’s elevation and arid climate makes for extremely difficult working conditions, but it also makes it perfect for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA.
Arrakis, Dune, Desert Planet
Yesterday we arrived at the Atacama region of Chile, and are staying in the small town of San Pedro. Atacama is perhaps the driest region in the world, and San Pedro is at an elevation of about 8,000 feet. That combination can be quite a punch. Fortunately we’ve been at a similar elevation the past couple of days at CTIO, …
Behind the Curtain
Neil Armstrong didn’t go to the Moon. He was sent to the Moon by a skilled and hardworking team known as NASA.
Baby Picture
Every now and then in astronomy we’ll get an image that lets us actually see phenomena we have previously just deduced from other observations. The image above is one of them. It was taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and shows an exoplanetary system in the process of forming. This isn’t an artistic rendering, it’s an actual image.