Bajo un manto de nieve
¿Cuánto tiempo podrías permanecer en el exterior observando el universo mientras nieva? No hace falta que te pongas a prueba porque no podrás competir con las antenas de ALMA que ves en esta Imagen de la Semana. En el llano de Chajnantor, en Chile, ESO opera, junto con sus socios internacionales, el conjunto ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array). Aquí las temperaturas pueden descender hasta -20 °C en las noches de invierno, pero, generalmente, estas frías condiciones no afectan el funcionamiento de las radioantenas de ALMA.
En comparación con los telescopios ópticos, las antenas de radio son bastante resistentes. Sus reflectores metálicos grises están expuestos a vientos cortantes y temperaturas fluctuantes. Para que el espejo o la antena de un telescopio refleje correctamente la luz que recoge, las imperfecciones de su superficie deben ser más pequeñas que la longitud de onda de la luz. Los espejos de los telescopios ópticos deben ser perfectamente lisos porque observan longitudes de onda cortas, como la luz visible, con longitudes de onda inferiores a una micra. Pero ALMA observa en longitudes de onda milimétricas más largas, por lo que puede utilizar estos resistentes paneles metálicos.
Las antenas de ALMA también pueden funcionar las 24 horas del día, porque los radiotelescopios no necesitan cielos oscuros para captar señales del espacio. Día tras día. Desde la nieve, aquí en la Tierra, las antenas observan hacia los lugares fríos y ocultos del cosmos.
Crédito:S. Otarola/ESO
Sobre la imagen
| Identificador: | potw2452a |
| Idioma: | es |
| Tipo: | Fotográfico |
| Fecha de publicación: | 23 de Diciembre de 2024 a las 06:00 |
| Tamaño: | 4346 x 7068 px |
Sobre el objeto
| Nombre: | ALMA AOS |
| Tipo: | Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope |
Formatos de imagen
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