The Gigantic ALMA Radio Telescope in Chile

ALMA will make sharper images than the Hubble Space Telescope, yet it’s a radio telescope! ALMA scientists Alison Peck and Al Wooten tell us about this array of 66 huge dishes in Chile’s Atacama desert.  Emily Lakdawalla reports that Curiosity scientists are celebrating a detour for the rover. Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye chats with Advocacy and Outreach Strategist Casey Dreier. Who's that singing "Space Truckin" on What's Up?  NOTE THE LINK TO THE NEW WHAT'S UP! CONTEST ENTRY FORM BELOW.  Bill Nye might be answering your phone for you.

Related Links

• Complete Interview with Alison Peck and Al Wooten about ALMA
• NRAO/NAASC Site for ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
• BLOG: Curiosity Update--"Glenelg is a scientific candy store!"
• BLOG: Chang'E Flyby Images of Asteroid Toutatis
• Official Deep Purple Website

Trivia Contest

This week's prize is Bill Nye the Science Guy's voice on your answering machine!

This week's question:
Who was the test pilot that flew the most flights in the X15?

To submit your answer:
Complete the contest entry form at http:planetary.org/radiotrivia no later than Monday, January 28, at 2pm Pacific Time.

Last week's question:
What is the ratio of escape velocities between Jupiter and Earth?

Answer:
The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:
What song by what group begins with the lines, "We had a lot of luck on Venus.  We always had a ball on Mars?"

Answer:
"Space Truckin" by Deep Purple, covered by, among others, a certain Federation Starship captain.