Jan. 10 () –
The project of a huge industrial complex threatens the pristine skies above the Paranal Observatory of ESO (European Southen Observatory), in the Atacama Desert, in Chile.
This enclave enjoys the darkest sky of all the astronomical observatories in the world, one of the last truly pristine ones on Earth, according to the ESO. in a statement.
The industrial megaproject promoted by AES Andes, a subsidiary of the American electrical company AES Corporationis located only between 5 and 11 kilometers from the Paranal telescopes, “which would cause irreparable damage to astronomical observations, in particular due to the light pollution emitted throughout the operational life of the project”
Since its inauguration in 1999, the Paranal Observatory, built and operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has led to important astronomical advances, such as the first image of an exoplanet and confirmation of the accelerated expansion of the universe.
The Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020 was awarded for research on the supermassive black hole located at the center of the Milky Way, in which the Paranal telescopes were fundamental.
KEY TO THE WORLD ASTRONOMICAL COMMUNITY
The observatory is a key asset for the global astronomical community. Additionally, nearby Cerro Armazones is home to the construction of ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the world’s largest telescope of its type, a revolutionary facility that will dramatically change what we know about our Universe.
“The fact that the AES Andes industrial megaproject is so close to Paranal represents a critical risk to the planet’s most pristine night skies“said the general director of ESO, Xavier Barcons.
“Dust emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence and, especially, light pollution, will have an irreparable impact on astronomical observation capabilitieswhich have so far attracted multimillion-dollar investments from the governments of ESO Member States.”
THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT OF A MEGAPROJECT
The project, whose environmental impact assessment was presented on December 24, covers an industrial complex of more than 3,000 hectares. It includes the construction of a port, ammonia and hydrogen production plants and thousands of electricity generation units near Paranal.
Thanks to its atmospheric stability and the absence of light pollutionthe Atacama Desert is a unique natural laboratory for astronomical research. These attributes are essential for scientific projects that aim to address fundamental questions, such as the origin and evolution of the universe or the search for life and the habitability of other planets.
The relocation of this project remains the only effective way to avoid irreversible damage to Paranal’s unique skies. This measure will not only safeguard the future of astronomy, but will also preserve one of the last truly pristine dark skies on Earth, according to ESO.
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