National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

C Projects

NAOJ Chile

About NAOJ Chile

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a giant radio telescope which was constructed in Chile in cooperation with the Republic of Chile, through global partnership of East Asia (including Japan), North America, and the member states of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO). ALMA is an array of 66 antennas (composed of 12-m and 7-m antennas in diameter) designed to observe astronomical objects at millimeter/submillimeter wavelength, which is at the shortest wavelength range in the radio wave spectrum. The NAOJ Chile was established in April 2012 with the mission to complete the construction of ALMA and support its science operations so that ALMA continuously produces significant scientific results. In January 2019, the NAOJ Chile spun off the NAOJ ALMA Project; the new NAOJ Chile is focused on the mission to manage and oversee the NAOJ researchers working for the Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) and to facilitate the on-site operations of ALMA in Chile.

Observed Image

ALMA image of the dust disk around a young star TW Hydrae

ALMA image of the dust disk around a young star TW Hydrae. The image reveals a series of concentric bright rings and dark gaps, suggesting infant version of our Solar System could be emerging from dust and gas.
Credit: S. Andrews (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

Telescope

ALMA

ALMA

Combining 66 parabolic antennas, ALMA can capture radio waves in overwhelming high-resolution equivalent to 120000/20 vision.

ALMA