The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has published an appeal to the public and authorities in Chile. It calls for the relocation of the construction of an industrial complex that would jeopardize astronomical observations from the Atacama Desert.
The Atacama Desert is considered one of the best places on Earth for astronomy. Its combination of dry climate, high altitude and lack of sources of light pollution have made it home to a multitude of telescopes that have made a number of landmark discoveries. The Paranal Observatory, built and operated by ESO, stands out. During its work, it has managed, among other things, to obtain the first image of an exoplanet, to confirm the accelerated expansion of the Universe, and to make an important contribution to the study of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, which was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics.
In addition, ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope is under construction on the Cerro Armazones mountain near Paranal. Once operational, it will be the most powerful ground-based observatory in history, revolutionizing our understanding of the Universe.
However, those plans have now been jeopardized. On December 24, 2024, AES Andes, a subsidiary of the American energy company AES Corporation, submitted for environmental review a project for the construction of a large industrial complex to be located only 5 to 11 kilometers from the Paranal Observatory. It involves the construction of an industrial complex covering more than 3,000 hectares, including the construction of a port, ammonia and hydrogen plants, and thousands of power plants.
According to ESO Director General Xavier Barcons, the realization of the project will cause irreparable damage to astronomical observations. “Dust emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence and especially light pollution will irreparably affect the astronomical observing capabilities that have so far attracted multi-billion dollar investments by ESO member governments,” said Barcons.
Consequently, ESO is calling for the project to be moved elsewhere. This measure will not only ensure the future of astronomy, but also preserve one of the last truly pristine dark skies on Earth.
According to ESO
