A lot of effort goes into choosing the site of an observatory, and science at ALMA will depend on a dry atmosphere. For this reason, ALMA is located in the extremely dry Atacama Desert. Extremely dry nearly the whole year, except during the "Altiplanic Winter", which brings precipitation typically in the month of February (see some snow on the top of the nearby volcano in the photo above). As we near February, weather at ALMA can change quickly, and today we saw a storm blow in. A weather report by the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security in Chile called for an "Alerta Temprana Preventiva por chubascos y tormentas eléctricas" (an Early Preventative Warning for Showers and Thunderstorms). Big news, it seems!
When it began raining today, everyone stopped what they were doing to look outside in wonder. Unfortunately, the antennas must be stowed during rain and snow, so our planned observations were interrupted. We continued observing in "simulation" mode, meaning that we could test scripts, but couldn't physically operate the antennas.
At first one could feel discouraged that observations at the site which was thought to be the driest on earth actually were interrupted by precipitation. Was there a mistake in the site selection? However, by the reaction of the people here, I still believe that this inclement weather is rare. Several astronomers and staff convened outside, beyond the protection of the roof, feeling the the cold refreshing rain on our skin. Those who spend so much time working up here seemed rejuvenated just like the plants coming to life after a long dry spell.
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