Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, Radio telescope at Llano de Chajnantor Observatory in Atacama Desert, Chile
The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment is a radio telescope with a 12-meter dish made of 264 aluminum panels positioned at Llano de Chajnantor Observatory. It sits at an elevation of 5,100 meters in the northern Chilean desert and observes wavelengths between 0.2 and 4 millimeters using specialized instruments like the Large APEX Bolometer Camera for submillimeter observations.
Construction started in 2001 and concluded in 2005 when European research institutes inaugurated the telescope. The facility emerged from international collaboration to study cold molecular clouds and star formation at one of Earth's cleanest observation sites.
The telescope advances international scientific cooperation as researchers from multiple countries work together to study cold molecular clouds and star formation.
The extreme elevation and remote location require good physical preparation and clothing adapted to cold and intense UV exposure. Visits are typically only possible with trained staff, and it is wise to check accessibility and opening information in advance.
The Atacama region stands as one of Earth's driest places, with conditions so clean that astronomers can observe as if looking from space itself. This natural clarity makes it possible to detect extraordinarily faint signals from space that would otherwise be lost.
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