The first images of the Sun obtained by the ALMA radio telescope network
ALMA observatory or radio telescope networków ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) is located on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters n.p.m. It’s a project combining the efforts of dozens of countriesów from Asia, America PóNorth and Europe. The Old Continent is represented by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), whichówhich also includes Poland.
The network consists of 66 radio telescopesóIn canopy diameters of 12 and 7 metersów. They work in the millimeter and submillimeter wave range. Although ALMA was not created to observe the Sun, its precise design allows it to do so. Not all telescopes can be directed to observe the Sun. This was seen by the staff of the SEST radio telescope, where a fire broke out after accidentally pointing it at the Sun. The current observations of the Sun by ALMA are part of the ALMA Solar Campaign project.
GlóThe primary target of the radio telescope networkóIn ALMA are observations of the objectów of the coolest and most distant corners of theóin space, such as clouds of gas and dust, where new stars are forming. The universe in these wavelengths has never been thoroughly studied before.
An image of the entire Sun taken at a wavelength of 617.3 nm. Photo. ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO
ALMA has provided scientists with extremely detailedółowe images of the sunspot, whichórej diameter is twice that of Earth. The spot was observed at 1.25 millimeter and 3 millimeter wavelengthsów. Photo shows róThe temperature differences in the Sun’s chromosphere – layer that lies just above the photosphere, the surface of the star that is visible to us.
