During the inauguration of ALMA

During the inauguration of ALMA at 5,000 meters above sea level, an emotional Payment to the Earth was made; an ancient ceremony of the Atacameña community aimed at thanking Mother Earth, or Pachamama, for benefits received or as an offering in search of a state beneficial to the entire community. In the photograph, personalities from ALMA and the Atacameño community in front of an Apacheta, a stone monument that represents an offering. © ALMA (ESO / NAOJ / NRAO)