Cyberattack Impacts ALMA Observatory in Chile, Halts Observations

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory was reportedly hit by a cyberattack, forcing it to shut down. The observatory, located high on the Chainantor plateau in the Chilean Andes, is currently mostly inoperable.

The ALMA Observatory houses one of the most advanced telescopes in the world, and the recent cyber intrusion forced the suspension of its astronomical observations. According to reports, the observatory's website is also down, and it is unclear when the facility will reopen.

ALMA did not provide any additional information about the cyberattack, and it is unclear who the hackers were or what motivated them to carry out the such deleterious activity. People at ALMA and concerned authorities could share developments regarding the incident soon.

ALMA Observatory Impacted by Cyberattack

Last Nov. 2, ALMA Observatory tweeted that their computer systems and services were affected by a cyberattack on Oct. 29, at exactly 6:14 in the morning. Six days after the said hacking incident, their official website is still down, and it is still not clear when their operations will resume.

The facility also informed the public that the observatory has limited email services. ALMA also disclosed that the threat has been controlled and that their specialists are working to restore affected systems. The fact that no ALMA antennas or scientific data were compromised in the incident comes as a huge relief to the scientific community.

About the ALMA Observatory

According to the ESO, the ALMA telescope's 66 high-precision antennas are dispersed over an area of up to 16 kilometers (10 miles), allowing it to detect far-off galaxies forming at the edge of the observable universe. Additionally, it is situated at an elevation of more than 5,000 meters in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on earth.

As per IFLScience, ALMA is the world's largest ground-based astronomical project, consisting of 68 high-precision antennas spread across 16 kilometers. It was also instrumental in the Event Horizon project, which captured several ground-breaking images of the known universe.

ALMA examines the fundamental elements of stars, planetary systems, galaxies, and life itself. By providing scientists with detailed images of stars and planets, astronomers can address some of the most fundamental questions about our cosmic origins.

ALMA also improves the Event Horizon Telescope's acuity by tenfold, allowing it to detect objects as small as a golf ball on the moon and black hole event horizons. The telescope captured the first direct image of a blackhole in 2017 and discovered water on distant space bodies later on.

Recently, ALMA astronomers discovered hot gas swirling around the galaxy's Sagittarius A* supermassive black hole. Teams worldwide collaborated to study the hot gas surrounding it, particularly as it began to orbit the space object.

The ALMA observatory currently employs 300 people, 40 engineers, and computer technicians in charge of the company's powerful computers, servers, data storage systems, and screens.