Ein Ort um die Mysterien des kalten Universums zu enthüllen
Dieses wunderschöne Panorama von Babak Tafreshi, einem der ESO-Fotobotschafter, zeigt das Chajnantor-Plateau in der Atacama-Region Chiles, beim Bad in den letzten Sonnenstrahlendes Tages. Das Plateau beherbergt das Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), das auf der linken Bildseite des Panoramas zu sehen ist. Von diesem abgelegenen Ort der Welt auf 5000 Metern über dem Meeresspiegel studiert APEX das kalte Universum.
APEX ist ein Teleskop mit 12 Metern Durchmesser und beobachtet bei Millimeter- und Submillimeterwellenlängen. Astronomen, die mit APEX beobachten, können Phänomene sehen, die für kürzere Wellenlängen unsichtbar sind. Das Teleskop erlaubt ihnen die Untersuchung molekularer Wolken – dichten Regionen aus Gas und kosmischem Staub, in denen neue Sterne geboren werden – die im sichtbaren und infraroten Licht verborgen und von Staub verdeckt sind, aber bei diesen relativ langen Wellenlängen hell leuchten. Astronomen nutzen dieses Licht, um die chemischen und physikalischen Bedingungen in den Wolken zu studieren. Dieser Wellenlängenbereich ist auch ideal zur Untersuchung einiger der frühesten und entferntesten Galaxien im Universum geeignet.
Seit dem Betriebsbeginn im Jahr 2005 hat APEX viele wichtige wissenschaftliche Resultate produziert. Zum Beispiel arbeitete APEX mit dem Very Large Telescope der ESO zusammen, um Materie beim Sturz in das Schwarze Loch im Zentrum unserer Milchstraße zu beobachten (eso0841), ein Erfolg, der unter den 10 bedeutendsten Entdeckungen der ESO zu finden ist.
Gruppen von weißem „Büßereis” stehen vor dem APEX-Teleskop. Büßereis ist ein seltsames Naturphänomen, das in hochgelegenen Regionen auftritt, typischerweise bei mehr als 4000 Metern über dem Meeresspiegel. Es handelt sich um dünne Platten aus verhärtetem Schnee oder Eis, die mit ihrer scharfen Kante in Richtung Sonne zeigen. Sie erreichen Höhen von einigen Zentimetern bis zu einigen Metern.
APEX ist eine Kooperation zwischen dem Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR), dem Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) und der ESO.
Die 12-Meter-Antennenschüssel von APEX basiert auf einem Prototypen für ein anderes Observatorium auf Chajnantor, dem Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). ALMA wird nach seiner Fertigstellung im Jahr 2013 aus vierundfünfzig 12-Meter-Antennen und zwölf 7-Meter-Antennen bestehen. Die ESO ist der europäische Partner bei dieser internationalen Observatoriumsanlage, die eine Kooperation zwischen Europa, Nordamerika und Ostasien in Zusammenarbeit mit Republik Chile ist.
Links
Bildnachweis:ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org)
Über das Bild
| ID: | potw1244a |
| Sprache: | de-be |
| Typ: | Fotografisch |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 29. Oktober 2012 10:00 |
| Größe: | 19056 x 3359 px |
| Field of View: | 50° x 15° |
Über das Objekt
| Name: | Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, Chajnantor, Panorama |
| Typ: | Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope |
Mounted Image
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