World’s Biggest Radio Telescope Launched In Chile

One of the most ambitious astronomy projects in the history of mankind will be launched Wednesday on a bone-dry plateau high in the Andes Mountains.

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array, better known as ALMA, is by far the largest radio telescope on earth. “In fact, it’s more powerful than all of the other radio telescopes in the world put together,” says Andreas Lundgren, a Swedish astronomer who works here and gave a tour of the site on Tuesday.