A Stargazing Evening

For stargazers, the Atacama Desert in Chile is without question the Holy Grail, offering ideal observing conditions: the clearest skies in the world, virtually no light pollution, and state-of-the-art observation facilities. The Atacama has the highest concentration of scientific observatories anywhere. Northern Chile is estimated to host 70% of the world's astronomical infrastructure.

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is the foremost intergovernmental scientific and technical organization.
ESO's Paranal Observatory is located 2.5 hours east of Antofagasta, in the middle of nowhere, atop a desert mountain at 2,600 metres above sea level. It is one of the driest places on Earth. The high altitude and extreme aridity make it a perfect site for astronomical observation. It is home to the Very Large Telescope (VLT) — a set of four gigantic 8-metre “eyes”, unquestionably the most advanced telescope in the world. The film crew of Quantum of Solace came here to shoot a scene featuring the world's most famous secret agent, James Bond.

The giant telescope at Cerro Armazones, also known as “The World's Biggest Eye on the Sky”, is another ESO project. Construction began in 2014, with commissioning planned for 2024. Like the VLT, it is fitted with mirrors — but this time 39 metres in diameter, making it the largest infrared telescope in the world. It will be able to gather 16 times more photons, allowing it to detect celestial objects emitting 16 times less light than those discovered to date. Its mission, named “The Quest for Our Cosmic Origins” by ESO, is to significantly advance knowledge in astrophysics, enabling detailed studies of subjects such as planets around other stars, the earliest objects in the Universe, supermassive black holes, and the nature and distribution of the dark matter and dark energy that dominate the Universe.

Some observatories in Chile have been specially designed to introduce travellers to the night sky. San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations is the ideal observatory to begin this adventure and explore the final frontiers of the universe. The site houses numerous telescopes. The specialist on hand is Alain Maury, an engineer with a background in photography, who formerly worked at ESO and knows how to make the most of your observing experience. The visit is designed to introduce visitors to various fields of astronomy, such as stargazing.