Kapteyn Institute helps build Chile observatory
On Monday 3 October the first astronomical observations were made with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile. This telescope will comprise 66 antennae, together forming the world’s largest telescope. Thus far twenty antennae have been installed.
Instrument for electromagnetic spectrum
Each antennae has an instrument developed by the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen. This instrument makes it possible to observe the millimetre range of the electromagnetic spectrum. ALMA observes the universe in light with millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths, roughly one thousand times longer than visible-light wavelengths. Using these longer wavelengths allows astronomers to study extremely cold objects in space — such as the dense clouds of cosmic dust and gas from which stars and planets form — as well as very distant objects in the early universe.
Antennae Galaxies, side-by-side comparison of ALMA and VLT observations
Colliding galaxies
One of ALMA’s first astronomical observations captured the Antennae Galaxies NGC 4033-4039, a pair of distorted colliding spiral galaxies about 70 million light-years away.From their collision new stars are born. Astronomers are very interested in this kind of star forming areas.
More information: ESO-website (European Southern Observatory)
Last modified: | 22 August 2024 1.34 p.m. |
More news
-
23 September 2024
Remove the ecologist from the ivory tower
It is clear as day that the Netherlands is facing great challenges in the area of nature conservation and biodiversity. According to ecologist Christ Smit, it is therefore high time that the scientist steps out of their ivory tower and joins the...
-
20 September 2024
European Green Deal: a double-edged sword for global emissions
The European Green Deal will bring the emission of greenhouse gases in the European Union down, but at the same time causes more than a twofold increase in emissions outside its borders.
-
05 September 2024
ERC Starting Grants for two UG researchers
Two UG researches, both working at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant: Jingxiu Xie and Gosia Wlodarczyk-Biegun. The European Research Council's (ERC) Starting Grants consist of €1.5 million each, for a...