Is ALMA better than the telescopes at Paranal because it is located at a much higher site?
The VLT and ALMA are the most powerful telescopes in the world of their kinds. As they observe the Universe at different wavelengths, they are in fact complementary. The Earth’s atmosphere is much less transparent to the millimetre and submillimetre radiation observed by ALMA than to visible light. Since water vapour strongly absorbs these wavelengths, it is critical for ALMA to be located in a very high and dry place. These requirements are perfectly met on the Chajnantor plateau, at an elevation of 5000 metres in the Chilean Andes.
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