The Paranal Observatory, in the Chilean Atacama Desert, was inaugurated in 1999. Built and Operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has been vital in such important discoveries as the first image of a planet beyond our Solar System or the confirmation that the universe is accelerating. Without going any further, the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their discoveries on black holes thanks to the fundamental information collected by the Paranal telescopes about the invisible and supermassive ‘monster’ that it houses. the center of our galaxy.
It is no coincidence that this Chilean observatory has been the fundamental protagonist of all these discoveries. “Chile, and in particular Paranal, is a truly special place for astronomy: its dark skies are a natural heritage that transcends its borders and benefits all humanity,” says Itziar de Gregorio, ESO representative in Chile. That is to say, the location is perfect for this type of installation. Not surprisingly, 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.
But all this is in danger, ESO astronomers warn. An industrial megaproject threatens to alter the vision of these privileged skies. As explained by the institution, on December 24, AES Andes, a subsidiary of the American electricity company AES Corporation, presented the project for an “immense industrial complex” for the evaluation of its environmental impact. Specifically, these are facilities that cover more than 3,000 hectares, “almost the size of a city, district or commune such as Valparaíso (Chile) or Garching, near Munich (Germany),” the astronomers indicate. It also includes the construction of a port, ammonia and hydrogen production plants and thousands of electricity generation units that will be located, if everything goes as planned, between 5 and 11 kilometers from the Paranal Observatory.
“The fact that the AES Andes industrial megaproject is so close to Paranal represents a critical risk for the most pristine night skies on the planet,” ESO Director General Xavier Barcons highlights in the statement. «Dust emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence and, especially, light pollution, will have an irreparable impact on astronomical observation capabilities, which have so far attracted multi-million dollar investments by the governments of Member States of THAT.
Unprecedented impact
Thanks to its atmospheric stability and the absence of light pollution, the 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. “It is crucial to consider alternative locations for this megaproject that do not endanger one of the world’s most important astronomical treasures,” says De Gregorio.
Astronomers urge the relocation of this project as the only alternative to the problem. “This measure will not only safeguard the future of astronomy, but will also preserve one of the last truly pristine dark skies on Earth,” they indicate.
#Astronomers #warpath #industrial #megaproject #blind #telescopes #world
