WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE – IN CHILE

The world’s largest space observatory has just opened in Chile.  At an altitude of 5,000 meters, with almost no humidity or vegetation, the world’s largest ground-based astronomy project opened last week. ALMA is a joint effort of North American, European and Asian agencies. At Llano Chajnantor, on a mountain plain near Chile’s border with Bolivia, and near the town of San Pedro de Atacama, scientists found ideal conditions for the project. As there is virtually no humidity to get in the way, the ALMA’s 66 antennas, ranging in diameter from seven to 12 meters, can glimpse at things in the darkest and remotest regions of the universe. Early findings by ALMA scientists include the groundbreaking discovery of two galaxies on the edge of the universe which are 12 billion years old, revising the estimated date of the first star birth upward by a billion years. Select Latin America can offer special star-gazing tours, please contact us to learn more.

RELATED: The messy completo is Chile’s finest fast food

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