of the Atacama Desert, Chile. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) is a radio telescope comprising 66 antennas placed in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Recently ALMA is set to get software and hardware upgrades that will help it to work more efficiently. Once upgraded, it will be able to collect much more data and produce sharper images than ever before. The most significant upgradation will be the replacement of its correlator, a supercomputer that combines the input from individual antennas and allows astronomers to produce highly detailed images of celestial objects.
The ALMA is placed in the Atacama, because it is the driest place on Earth, with the majority of nights being clear of clouds and free from light-distorting moisture. Hence, it is used as an experimentation site for Mars exploration missions. The ALMA telescope records waves that are in the range of millimetres. Even the water vapour in the atmosphere could disrupt the waves.