Day by day, and year by year, we strive to obtain and generate transformational science. But none of this is worthwhile if it is not shared with everyone. To commemorate Astronomy Day, celebrated every 21 March, we open our doors of SCO and ESO, so that young people and adults can learn about who we are and what we...
Female representation in astronomy is a challenge worldwide, but when we look at Chilean women working in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the scenario is even more adverse. And that is the mission of PROVOCA, a programme created in 2018 by AUI/NRAO that is guided under the slogan: "Let's Promote Scientific Vocations". What started as a...
This March 13 marks the culmination of the celebration of our first decade of full operations, 11 years since ALMA was inaugurated. A period that has marked not only the entire scientific community and radio astronomy worldwide, but also, of course, those who lived these first steps in the flesh. Here we relive their best memories, obtained from the...
Although the morning of that January 2012 was hot in the Chajnantor plain, Francisco Pino was frozen in front of a machine. He had only been familiarizing himself with the Front End for a couple of days when he dropped a piece of candy inside. "I couldn't even eat lunch that day," he recalls of that frightening moment. Fortunately,...
"The adventurous spirit of Juan Carlos Rojas, our Mechanical Operator, goes hand in hand with something essential: care. Precisely that was the award he received in our last ALMA Fundamental Statements Awards. "Without a doubt, it is a milestone in my career that I will always remember with a smile and a heart full of gratitude," he says proudly.With...
The arid soil of the Chajnantor plain turns white when the altiplanic winter arrives. Thunderstorms can also be part of this climatic phenomenon that causes unfavorable conditions for observation. Therefore, ALMA takes advantage of this period every year to perform maintenance on the OSF and the AOS. What is known as shutdown happens only for a few days. A...