Retour au reportage Retour au reportage
20170104_0007

© Sébastien CHASTANET / CNES / OMP / IRAP / UT3 / CNRS Images

Reference

20170104_0007

Rangée de containers de la campagne Austral, face à la base de lancement ballons d'Alice Springs

A row of containers for the "Austral" balloon launch campaign facing the buildings at the Alice Springs balloon launch base in Australia. This facility's position in the southern hemisphere enables astrophysicists and astronomers to observe heavenly bodies such as the Magellanic Clouds and internal regions of the Milky Way, which are only visible from this hemisphere. This base was used to launch the balloons for the PILOT, CLIMAT and CARMEN/CASOLBA missions. Measurements are more economical and simpler to perform using balloons than using satellites. Balloons are able to gather data that would be impossible to collect using ground-based telescopes, as the Earth's atmosphere partially blocks cosmic radiation.

CNRS Institute(s)

Regional office(s)

Scientific topics

CNRS Images,

Our work is guided by the way scientists question the world around them and we translate their research into images to help people to understand the world better and to awaken their curiosity and wonderment.