On 16 June 2026, EASC hosted the ALMA Band 2 Production Completion Event. 36 participants from the Band 2 consortium, contributing European institutes, industry partners, and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) travelled to ESO Garching to celebrate this important milestone for ALMA. Together with ESO staff, more than 70 people attended the associated workshop and celebration activities throughout the day.
Celebrating ALMA Band 2 Production Completion
Published: 24 Jun 2026
Photograph of the event participants at ESO
The day began with a workshop that included presentations from astronomers and engineers involved in the project. Astronomers highlighted the new science opportunities including the advantages arising from the extended on-sky and instantaneous bandwidths. Engineers shared their insights into the development and production of the receivers, as well as some of the lessons learned along the way, and technologies they are developing that may be useful for future ALMA instrumentation. The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and reflect on the challenges and achievements of this successful international collaboration. The event continued with a tour of ESO’s facilities for visiting guests, followed by a reception at ESO Supernova, and concluded with a planetarium show.
Contributed by Pavel Yagoubov