| Astrophysics (Index) | About |
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is a name used to refer to the collection of observatories on the llano de Chajnantor (Chajnantor Plateau), a high portion of the Atacama Desert (4800 m or 15700 ft) in Chile. Telescopes reside on the plateau, as well as on some on the plateau's peaks. Transportation to the sites is a challenge, and the altitude is sufficient to affect human function, but the altitude and dry air's effect of enlarging atmospheric windows makes it an excellent site for infrared and millimeter astronomy, including study of the CMB. On the plateau and a nearby plain (Pampa la Bola):
On peaks:
The defunct Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) was located on this plateau. Plans exist to move the decommissioned Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) from Hawaii to the site of the CBI, giving it the a name, Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT). ALMA encompasses much of the location, and a tract of land surrounding ALMA's, that contains some or all the neighboring observatories, has been set aside by Chile for such use, as the Parque Astronómico Atacama (Atacama Astronomical Park, AAP).