The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, an international telescope project, reached a major milestone on March 2, when two ALMA prototype antennas were first linked together as an integrated system to observe an astronomical object.

Two teachers from the town of San Pedro de Atacama, in the northern desert of the South American nation of Chile, arrive in Magdalena, New Mexico, Sunday, January 28, for a two-week visit that is part of a Sister Cities program sponsored by Associated Universities, Inc, the nonprofit research corporation that operates the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Scientists and dignitaries from North America, Europe, and Chile broke ground today (Thursday, November 6, 2003) on what will be the world’s largest, most sensitive radio telescope operating at millimeter wavelengths.

Dr Rita Colwell, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, and Dr Catherine Cesarsky, director general of the European Southern Observatory, today signed a historic agreement jointly to construct and operate ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the world’s largest and most powerful radio telescope operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths.

The United States and Canada intend to collaborate on two of the most important radio astronomy projects of the new century — the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and the Expanded Very Large Array.

A distinguished panel of scientists today announced their support for the continued funding of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array Project at a press conference given by the National Academy of Sciences.

The US and European partners in the Atacama Large Millimeter Array project have awarded contracts to US and Italian firms, respectively, for two prototype antennas.

Two hundred astronomers from around the world will meet in Washington, DC on October 7 and 8 to discuss exciting new science to be done with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA).