This picture with a futuristic antenna transporter might seem like a scene from a science fiction movie set on a distant planet, but it’s happening right here on Earth.
This stunning landscape is the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes, where the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is stationed.
ALMA consists of 66 ultra-precise antennas: a primary array of 50 antennas, each 12 meters wide, and a supplementary compact array of four 12-meter and twelve 7-meter antennas.
These antennas work all together as a single telescope.
In the image, you can see one of the transporters, named “Otto” or “Lore,” provided by ESO. These transporters move the antennas, allowing ALMA to observe different scales and details by changing their locations.
Although this landscape isn’t extraterrestrial, ALMA’s advanced technology enables us to study the fundamental elements of distant planets and holds the potential to help us discover signs of life beyond Earth.
Credit: Sergio Otarola/ESO
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