The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an astronomical interferometer of 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, which observe electromagnetic radiation at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The array has been constructed on the 5,000 m (16,000 ft) elevation Chajnantor plateau, near the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. This location was chosen for its high elevation and low humidity, factors which are crucial to reduce noise and decrease signal attenuation due to Earth’s atmosphere. ALMA provides insight on star birth during the early Stelliferous era and detailed imaging of local star and planet formation.
I’ve been there in 2010 on a photography expedition, and made some shots with my old Canon 40D DSLR. This was before Leica, Hasselblad, and me moving out to New York. This was when I still lived in Brazil, 16 years ago, and proves that taking photography seriously isn’t a recent hobby that will come and go. I dedicate my life to photography with dogged persistence as much as these antennas dedicate their existence to finding the origin of the Big Bang.
The visit and private tour I had at the time was organized by my wife, who’s sister (and husband) work in there, so we had access to all the facilities, Labs, housing, etc, like this 450kg cryostat tank to cool down the antennas.
The antennae can be moved across the desert plateau over distances from 150 m to 16 km, which gives ALMA a powerful variable “zoom”, similar in its concept to that employed at the centimeter-wavelength Very Large Array (VLA) site in New Mexico, U.S.A.
The high sensitivity is mainly achieved through the large number of antenna dishes that make up the array, and they’re moved by massive trucks like this one:
I didn’t stay for the night, but the Sky in that location is simply outstanding, different from everything I’ve seen in my life. That place has a special connection with the cosmos.
I chose to render these images in black and white, a departure from my usual approach, because I perceive the Atacama Desert in monochrome. It is hard to avoid recalling Ansel Adams alongside the desert, which I photographed extensively and intend to compile into a book. Some shots literally look like taken on the Moon’s surface. I would subscribe to CameraClara if I were you, as I would not want to miss it.
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