藍色軒言

I knew BICEP2 was very hot recently, but I still would like to post some pictures of AMiBA. I am always honor to be one of crews who build it on Mouna Loa, Hawaii. 「AMiBA」 was dedicated in 2006. The site altitude is 3426M (about 66% air pressure).

Although the altitude sounds high but it still need to take at least 3 hours to climb up the crater of this volcano.
Yes, Mauna LOA is a VOLCANO and it was not complete dead.   



You can see a dark shape of mountain in the background of above picture, that's Mauna KEA, the highest mountain on Big Island(Hawai'i).
It sit at north of Mauna Loa, that's the direction AMiBA always toward to for beginning of daily observation.
You should also toward to Manua KEA if you want to see the polar star.
This night has good ambient temperature around 44F and the most important factor is: IT'S NOT WINDY AT ALL!

On the bottom region of picture you can see two white containers, one is for operater to take rest or sleep,
and the other one is the control room to operate the daily observation of AMiBA. 


The AMiBA is the first radio telescope utilize the hexapod (six-pole) to supporting main structure for telescope. On top of hexapod is a hexagonal platform painted in white color, this platform is a 6 meter wide structure and engineers mount receivers on it.
Each receiver has equip with a 1.2 meter (diameter) main reflector on its top to collect the signal from sky.
And now, you can see total 13 receivers and main reflectors (we call it - "dish") been installed on platform. 

If we treat AMiBA as foreground in above picture, you would see a big, wide canvas in brown color and sit behind the telescope, that's shelter of AMiBA. The shelter is used to cover the telescope while AMiBA is not doing observation, and normally shelter did closed during the daytime.


Above picture was took from the backside of telescope, so you can find many cables and equipments were mounted under platform.
In the backgound of this picture is the famous 『Big Dipper 北斗七星』, have you find it?


There are other facilities also doing research around AMiBA in the night , for example: 『the stratosphere probes use lidar』.
That's the green line shows in the background. That's very cool thing on here.
BTW, have you see the "Orion 獵戶座" in the background?

Welcome to stop by and say hello to operators if you are traviling here in the night time!!