×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 04 March, 2023

  • 5 Min Read

ALMA Telescope

ALMA Telescope

ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, will soon get hardware and software updates.

More about the news:

  • The improvement will enable it to gather significantly more data and generate photographs that are crisper than ever.
  • The correlator, a supercomputer that integrates the information from many antennas and enables astronomers to make extremely detailed images of celestial objects, will be replaced, and this will be the most major modernization made to ALMA.
  • One of the fastest supercomputers in the world is ALMA's correlator.

About Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at Atacama:

  • ALMA is a cutting-edge radio telescope that analyses astronomical objects at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. It has 66 antennas.
  • They can look through dust clouds and aid astronomers in studying faint and far-off galaxies and stars.
  • Also, it has exceptional sensitivity, enabling it to pick up radio signals that are incredibly faint.

Location: Northern Chile's Atacama Desert.

  • It has been fully functional since 2013, and has helped astronomers make significant discoveries, including that of starburst galaxies and the dust generation inside supernova 1987A.

Development:

The European Southern Observatory, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory of the United States all contributed to its design, planning, and construction (ESO).

  • A cooperation between the United States, 16 European nations, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile is responsible for running ALMA. The announcement was made after all of the partners had approved the financing needed for the modifications.

Why is ALMA in the Atacama Desert of Chile?

  • ALMA is located on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile's Atacama Desert at an elevation of 16,570 feet (5,050 metres) above sea level.
  • Reason: Because Earth's atmosphere readily absorbs water vapour at millimetre and submillimeter wavelengths, which are the waves it observes.
  • The desert is also the driest area on Earth, which means that most of its nights are cloud- and moisture-free, making it an ideal place for astronomical observation.
Findings of Telescope:
  • A very young T Tauri star named HL Tauri, located in the constellation Taurus, is around 450 light years away from Earth. In 2013, starburst galaxies ALMA gave precise views of the protoplanetary disc surrounding the star.
In 2015:
  • It assisted in the observation of the Einstein ring, a phenomena that happens when light from a galaxy or star passes past a large object on its way to the Earth.
  • The supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy was also captured in its first photograph.
  • In May 2022, scientists presented the image.

Source: The Hindu


Anti-Defection Law in India

The Supreme Court of India recently gave a final three-week deadline to the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions against defecting MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law. What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Anti-Defection Law was introduced through the 52nd Amendment (1985), which added the Tenth Schedule to the

Rat-Hole Mining

A major disaster unfolded in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, when at least 18 workers died following an explosion in an illegally operating rat-hole coal mine. This incident highlights the continued prevalence of rat-hole mining despite bans imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court of India. Rat-hole mining is driven

India’s Aviation Sector

India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly, becoming a major economic success story. However, regulatory oversight has not evolved at the same pace. Data-driven monitoring of fares and market behavior is essential to ensure fair competition, prevent market abuse, and shift from reactive crisis management to proactive regulation. Challen

Federalism in India

Recently, a high-level committee on Union–State relations submitted its first report to the Government of Tamil Nadu. The report examines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and the States, highlighting ongoing debates regarding the balance between central authority and state autonomy. This discussion is clos

India–UAE Economic Partnership

The relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates has evolved from a traditional energy-based partnership into a comprehensive economic and strategic relationship. Over the years, strong political trust, growing trade, and expanding investments have transformed bilateral ties into a diversified economic corridor. The economic partnership

DNA

22 Mar,2026

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW