Where is ALMA?

Do astronomers live at ALMA?

If you hold your breath for too long, you will die. Your body needs the oxygen in the air. Without getting enough oxygen, you can’t survive. That’s why divers always take bottles of oxygen with them. After all, under water there is no air to breathe. At the ALMA observatory, it’s hard to breathe normally....

Is there a lot to see?

ALMA is located in the Atacama Desert. When thinking about a desert, you probably imagine a vast, boring stretch of hot sand, with the occasional palm tree. But the Atacama is very different. In fact, it’s extremely beautiful and varied. Especially the area around San Pedro de Atacama is full of surprises. San Pedro itself...

Why is ALMA so high?

ALMA was the highest observatory in the world for over a decade. The Chajnantor Plateau, where the 66 ALMA antennas are located, is 16,400 feet above sea level in the middle of the Andes. Until recently there was only one building in the world that was at a slightly higher altitude: a train station in...

Where is Chajnantor?

ALMA is the biggest astronomical observatory on Earth. It was built by countries in North America, Europe and East Asia. You might expect that ALMA is located in one of these three continents. But you would be wrong. ALMA is in South America. The best place to build your observatory would be in space, high...