World’s largest radio telescope shut down

The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA), the world’s largest multi-dish radio telescope, has been temporarily shut down due to COVID-19.

Located in the Chajnantor Plateau in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, ALMA comprises 66 high-precision antennas, spread over distances of up to 16 kilometres. ALMA operates at wavelengths of 0.32 to 3.6 millimetres (31 to 1000 GHz)

ALMA stopped its operations on March 22 due to the developments related to the coronavirus disease in Chile.

“We made the unprecedented decision to shut down ALMA for the well-being and health of all staff, to ensure they can be at home with their families while this pandemic unfolds,” said ALMA Director, Sean Dougherty

Dougherty added that a skeletal workforce continues to keep vital telescope systems operational. The workforce will also ensure that the observatory is ready to restart operations as soon as its feasible.

“The last scientific observations were completed on March 19. The observation proposal deadline for Cycle 8 was postponed until a date to be determined, which will be no sooner than May 19.”

One month fighting COVID-19

At the time of writing, Chile has more than 3,700 confirmed cases and 22 deaths from COVID-19 – a month after the first case was detected in the country.

Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, said that the peak of the epidemic is expected in the first week of May, and that a second peak should occur a month later.

He further explained that the first peak will include the infected people, and the second peak, in a lesser extent, will have sick people who need medical treatment.