Andrew Yee
September 27th 05, 05:40 PM
ESO Education and Public Relations Dept.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Text with all links and the photos are available on the ESO
Website at URL:
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2005/pr-25-05.html
--------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts:
Karl Menten
Max-Planck-Institute for Radioastronomy, Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49 228-52 52 97
Lars Aake Nyman
APEX, Sequitor Base, Chile
Phone: +56 2 582 02 00
Robert Laing
ESO, Garching
Phone: +49 89 3200 6625
Under Embargo until September 25, 2005, 18:00 CEST
ESO Press Release 25/05
Desert Pathfinder at Work
Sub-millimetre APEX telescope inaugurated at Chajnantor
The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) project celebrates
the inauguration of its outstanding 12-m telescope, located
on the 5100m high Chajnantor plateau in the Atacama Desert
(Chile). The APEX telescope, designed to work at sub-
millimetre wavelengths, in the 0.2 to 1.5 mm range, passed
successfully its Science Verification phase in July, and
since then is performing regular science observations. This
new front-line facility provides access to the "Cold Universe"
with unprecedented sensitivity and image quality.
After months of careful efforts to set up the telescope to
work at the best possible technical level, those involved
in the project are looking with satisfaction at the fruit
of their labour: APEX is not only fully operational, it
has already provided important scientific results.
"The superb sensitivity of our detectors together with the
excellence of the site allow fantastic observations that
would not be possible with any other telescope in the world,"
said Karl Menten, Director of the group for Millimeter and
Sub-Millimeter Astronomy at the Max-Planck-Institute for
Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and Principal Investigator of the
APEX project.
ESO PR Photo 30/05
Sub-Millimetre Image of a Stellar Cradle
Caption: ESO PR Photo 30/05 is an image of the giant
molecular cloud G327 taken with APEX. More than 5000
spectra were taken in the J=3-2 line of the carbon
monoxide molecule (CO), one of the best tracers of
molecular clouds, in which star formation takes place.
The bright peak in the north of the cloud is an evolved
star forming region, where the gas is heated by a cluster
of new stars. The most interesting region in the image is
totally inconspicuous in CO: the G327 hot core, as seen
in methanol contours. It is a truly exceptional source,
and is one of the richest sources of emission from complex
organic molecules in the Galaxy (see spectrum at bottom).
Credit: Wyrowski et al. (map), Bisschop et al. (spectrum).
Millimetre and sub-millimetre astronomy opens exciting new
possibility in the study of the first galaxies to have formed
in the Universe and of the formation processes of stars and
planets. In particular, APEX allows astronomers to study the
chemistry and physical conditions of molecular clouds, that
is, dense regions of gas and dust in which new stars are
forming. Among the first studies made with APEX, astronomers
took a first glimpse deep into cradles of massive stars,
observing for example the molecular cloud G327 and measuring
significant emission in carbon monoxide and complex organic
molecules (see ESO PR Photo 30/05).
The official inauguration of the APEX telescope will start
in San Pedro de Atacama on September, 25th.
The Ambassadors in Chile of some of ESO's member states, the
Intendente of the Chilean Region II, the Mayor of San Pedro,
the Executive Director of the Chilean Science Agency (CONICYT),
the Presidents of the Communities of Sequitor and Toconao, as
well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Universities in Chile, will join ESO's Director General, Dr.
Catherine Cesarsky, the Chairman of the APEX Board and MPIfR
director, Prof. Karl Menten, and the Director of the Onsala
Space Observatory, Prof. Roy Booth, in a celebration that will
be held in San Pedro de Atacama.
The next day, the delegation will visit the APEX base camp in
Sequitor, near San Pedro, from where the telescope is operated,
as well as the APEX site on the 5100m high Llano de Chajnantor.
More information
APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für
Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), and
the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The telescope was
designed and constructed by VERTEX Antennentechnik GmbH
(Germany), under contract by MPIfR, and is based on a prototype
antenna constructed for the ALMA project. Operation of APEX in
Chile is entrusted to ESO. The First Light of APEX took place
in July and is described in ESO Press Release 18/05. The APEX
web site is at http://www.apex-telescope.org/ . The Press
Release of the Max-Planck Society is available in English,
German and Spanish.
National contacts for the media:
Belgium: Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez, +32-2-474 70 50
Finland: Ms. Terhi Loukiainen, +358 9 7748 8385
Denmark: Dr. Michael Linden-Vørnle, +45-33-18 19 97
France: Dr. Daniel Kunth, +33-1-44 32 80 85
Germany: Dr. Jakob Staude, +49-6221-528229
Italy: Prof. Massimo Capaccioli, +39-081-55 75 511
The Netherlands: Ms. Marieke Baan, +31-20-525 74 80
Portugal: Prof. Teresa Lago, +351-22-089 833
Sweden: Dr. Jesper Sollerman, +46-8-55 37 85 54
Switzerland: Dr. Martin Steinacher, +41-31-324 23 82
United Kingdom: Mr. Peter Barratt, +44-1793-44 20 25
--------------------------------------------------------------
ESO Press Information is available on the WWW at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/
--------------------------------------------------------------
(c) ESO Education & Public Relations Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
Text with all links and the photos are available on the ESO
Website at URL:
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2005/pr-25-05.html
--------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts:
Karl Menten
Max-Planck-Institute for Radioastronomy, Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49 228-52 52 97
Lars Aake Nyman
APEX, Sequitor Base, Chile
Phone: +56 2 582 02 00
Robert Laing
ESO, Garching
Phone: +49 89 3200 6625
Under Embargo until September 25, 2005, 18:00 CEST
ESO Press Release 25/05
Desert Pathfinder at Work
Sub-millimetre APEX telescope inaugurated at Chajnantor
The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) project celebrates
the inauguration of its outstanding 12-m telescope, located
on the 5100m high Chajnantor plateau in the Atacama Desert
(Chile). The APEX telescope, designed to work at sub-
millimetre wavelengths, in the 0.2 to 1.5 mm range, passed
successfully its Science Verification phase in July, and
since then is performing regular science observations. This
new front-line facility provides access to the "Cold Universe"
with unprecedented sensitivity and image quality.
After months of careful efforts to set up the telescope to
work at the best possible technical level, those involved
in the project are looking with satisfaction at the fruit
of their labour: APEX is not only fully operational, it
has already provided important scientific results.
"The superb sensitivity of our detectors together with the
excellence of the site allow fantastic observations that
would not be possible with any other telescope in the world,"
said Karl Menten, Director of the group for Millimeter and
Sub-Millimeter Astronomy at the Max-Planck-Institute for
Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and Principal Investigator of the
APEX project.
ESO PR Photo 30/05
Sub-Millimetre Image of a Stellar Cradle
Caption: ESO PR Photo 30/05 is an image of the giant
molecular cloud G327 taken with APEX. More than 5000
spectra were taken in the J=3-2 line of the carbon
monoxide molecule (CO), one of the best tracers of
molecular clouds, in which star formation takes place.
The bright peak in the north of the cloud is an evolved
star forming region, where the gas is heated by a cluster
of new stars. The most interesting region in the image is
totally inconspicuous in CO: the G327 hot core, as seen
in methanol contours. It is a truly exceptional source,
and is one of the richest sources of emission from complex
organic molecules in the Galaxy (see spectrum at bottom).
Credit: Wyrowski et al. (map), Bisschop et al. (spectrum).
Millimetre and sub-millimetre astronomy opens exciting new
possibility in the study of the first galaxies to have formed
in the Universe and of the formation processes of stars and
planets. In particular, APEX allows astronomers to study the
chemistry and physical conditions of molecular clouds, that
is, dense regions of gas and dust in which new stars are
forming. Among the first studies made with APEX, astronomers
took a first glimpse deep into cradles of massive stars,
observing for example the molecular cloud G327 and measuring
significant emission in carbon monoxide and complex organic
molecules (see ESO PR Photo 30/05).
The official inauguration of the APEX telescope will start
in San Pedro de Atacama on September, 25th.
The Ambassadors in Chile of some of ESO's member states, the
Intendente of the Chilean Region II, the Mayor of San Pedro,
the Executive Director of the Chilean Science Agency (CONICYT),
the Presidents of the Communities of Sequitor and Toconao, as
well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Universities in Chile, will join ESO's Director General, Dr.
Catherine Cesarsky, the Chairman of the APEX Board and MPIfR
director, Prof. Karl Menten, and the Director of the Onsala
Space Observatory, Prof. Roy Booth, in a celebration that will
be held in San Pedro de Atacama.
The next day, the delegation will visit the APEX base camp in
Sequitor, near San Pedro, from where the telescope is operated,
as well as the APEX site on the 5100m high Llano de Chajnantor.
More information
APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für
Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), and
the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The telescope was
designed and constructed by VERTEX Antennentechnik GmbH
(Germany), under contract by MPIfR, and is based on a prototype
antenna constructed for the ALMA project. Operation of APEX in
Chile is entrusted to ESO. The First Light of APEX took place
in July and is described in ESO Press Release 18/05. The APEX
web site is at http://www.apex-telescope.org/ . The Press
Release of the Max-Planck Society is available in English,
German and Spanish.
National contacts for the media:
Belgium: Dr. Rodrigo Alvarez, +32-2-474 70 50
Finland: Ms. Terhi Loukiainen, +358 9 7748 8385
Denmark: Dr. Michael Linden-Vørnle, +45-33-18 19 97
France: Dr. Daniel Kunth, +33-1-44 32 80 85
Germany: Dr. Jakob Staude, +49-6221-528229
Italy: Prof. Massimo Capaccioli, +39-081-55 75 511
The Netherlands: Ms. Marieke Baan, +31-20-525 74 80
Portugal: Prof. Teresa Lago, +351-22-089 833
Sweden: Dr. Jesper Sollerman, +46-8-55 37 85 54
Switzerland: Dr. Martin Steinacher, +41-31-324 23 82
United Kingdom: Mr. Peter Barratt, +44-1793-44 20 25
--------------------------------------------------------------
ESO Press Information is available on the WWW at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/
--------------------------------------------------------------
(c) ESO Education & Public Relations Department
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
--------------------------------------------------------------