Orión cuida de ALMA
Brillando en lo alto del cielo nocturno chileno, Orión, El Cazador, permanece atento, vigilando las antenas de ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array). Es muy fácil reconocer esta constelación, con su distintiva forma de reloj de arena y las tres brillantes estrellas del cinturón de Orión en el centro. Obtenida desde el hemisferio sur, esta imagen nos muestra la espada de Orión sobre el cinturón. La espada alberga una de los fenómenos más impresionantes del cielo — la Nebulosa de Orión — que aparece como la “estrella” central de la espada, con una nebulosidad difusa que la hace visible a simple vista bajo buenas condiciones meteorológicas.
Las tres antenas de ALMA que se ven en la imagen representan solo una pequeña parte del conjunto total, que cuenta con un total de 66 antenas. ALMA combina las señales de sus antenas, separadas por distancias de más de 16 kilómetros, para formar un telescopio unitario gigantesco, utilizando una técnica denominada interferometría. Pese a que la construcción no se completará hasta el año 2013, ALMA comenzó a hacer observaciones científicas con parte de sus antenas en el año 2011.
A 5.000 metros de altitud, en el Llano de Chajnantor, a los pies de los Andes chilenos, en una de las regiones más áridas del mundo, ALMA cuenta con unas excepcionales condiciones de observación. Para llevar a cabo las observaciones es necesario un lugar como Chajnantor, alto y seco, ya que el vapor de agua y el oxígeno de la atmósfera terrestre absorben las longitudes de onda milimétricas y submilimétricas de la luz, el rango para el cual está diseñado ALMA.
En esta fotografía, las antenas se estaban probando en las instalaciones de apoyo a las operaciones de ALMA (Operations Support Facility) ubicadas a una altitud algo más baja, a 2.900 metros. Una vez probadas y totalmente equipadas, fueron transportadas al Llano de Chajnantor para iniciar su trabajo.
Esta imagen fue obtenida por Adrian Russell, quien envió la fotografía al grupo de Flickr “Your ESO Pictures”. El grupo Flickr se revisa regularmente y se seleccionan las mejores fotos para ser las protagonistas de la serie “La imagen de la semana”, o para incorporarlas a la galería de imágenes. En 2012, como parte de las celebraciones con motivo del 50 aniversario de ESO, también pueden participar imágenes relacionadas con la historia de ESO.
ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) es una instalación astronómica internacional fruto de la colaboración entre Europa, América del Norte y Asia Oriental, en cooperación con la República de Chile. La construcción y operaciones de ALMA en Europa están lideradas por ESO; en América del Norte por el National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO); y en Asia Oriental por el Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de Japón (NAOJ). El Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) proporciona al proyecto la unificación tanto del liderazgo como de la gestión de la construcción, puesta a punto y operación de ALMA.
Enlaces
- Las fotos en Flickr de Adrian Russell
- Esta fotografía en Flickr
- El grupo de Flickr “Your ESO Pictures”
- Anuncio de “Your ESO Pictures”
- Más sobre ALMA en ESO
- El Joint ALMA Observatory
ESO/A. Russell
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw1233a |
| Idioma: | es |
| Tipo: | Fotográfico |
| Fecha de publicación: | 13 de Agosto de 2012 a las 10:00 |
| Tamaño: | 4288 x 2848 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array |
| Tipo: | Unspecified : Sky Phenomenon : Night Sky Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope |
Formatos de imagen
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