Alma array scans heavens for celestial births

ANTENNAS of the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (Alma) peer into the blue from the Chajnantor plateau, Atacama desert, 1500 kilometres north of Santiago, Chile.

The 66-antenna strong Alma array, a partnership between Europe, North America and East Asia, with the cooperation of Chile, is the largest astronomical project in the world. Its task is to monitor star and planetary formation Picture: Getty