Which large-scale observing instrument is specifically engineered to capture the faint millimeter and submillimeter light emitted by cold dust in stellar nurseries?

Answer

ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array)

Because the earliest stages of star formation—the protostar phase and the surrounding accretion disk—are deeply obscured by thick veils of gas and dust that block visible light, astronomers require specialized instruments sensitive to longer wavelengths. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is designed precisely for this purpose. It operates by detecting the faint millimeter and submillimeter light emitted by the cold dust particles within these molecular clouds. This capability allows researchers to achieve high resolution necessary to map out the fine kinematic structure of the gas as it spirals inward and to study the nascent protoplanetary disks that optical telescopes cannot penetrate.

Which large-scale observing instrument is specifically engineered to capture the faint millimeter and submillimeter light emitted by cold dust in stellar nurseries?

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