14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have just released this breathtaking image showing the antennas of the largest radio observatory ever built, backdropped by the beauty of our galaxy. Such images are only possible in very specific regions of the world.
ESO Photo Ambassador Babak Tafreshicaptured this image of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope, which is located on the Chajnantor plateau, in Chile, at an altitude of around 5,000 meters (16.405 feet).
ALMA was constructed in such a remote location due to the extremely arid conditions of the Chilean Andes. Rains fall here just once every two years or so, which means that astronomers and their telescopes always have a perfect view of the night sky. This is demonstrated plentifully by this image.
The Pledides Cluster is clearly visible in the upper left corner of the picture. The Orion Constellation can be observed just above the nearest antenna, while the Pleiades constellation can be seen immediately next to it.