One of the darkest slices of night sky on the planet may soon be threatened by the construction of an enormous industrial complex.
This megaproject, which was proposed in December by U.S. power company AES Corporation's AES Andes subsidiary, may be built in Chile's Atacama Desert.
The Atacama is famed for its pitch-black skies and lack of light pollution, and it's home to the ESO's Paranal Observatory, which was involved in taking the very first picture of an exoplanet. The Paranal Observatory is situated on Cerro Paranal, 8,645 feet above sea level, and is home to the famous Very Large Telescope (VLT), among other instruments.
The VLT played a key role in research that earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020 for confirming the existence of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The Paranal Observatory will also host the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction on the nearby Cerro Armazones.
Much of the success of the observatory comes as a result of the clear, dark skies of the Atacama. The desert's arid climate and high altitude ensure clear skies for over 300 nights a year, with minimal light pollution, allowing the best possible conditions for the observation of the cosmos from the ground.
Most celestial objects, such as distant galaxies, nebulae and stars, emit very dim light. Artificial light from cities, streetlights and industrial sources creates a bright background glow that overwhelms these faint signals, making it harder to detect or study faint objects.
There are fears that the construction of the AES Andes project, which is pegged to be situated 3 to 7 miles from the Paranal Observatory, may introduce light pollution to the region and limit the telescopes' power.
"The artificial light increases the brightness of the sky. As a result, we only see very few stars. This is an effect that can be easily noticed with the naked eye. When it comes to the most sophisticated astronomical instruments, the principle remains the same, but conditions are far more demanding," Laura Ventura, the Chile head of communications at the ESO, told Newsweek.
"Therefore, an increase of the sky brightness will make difficult the detection of faint objects (such as very distant galaxies or Earth-like exoplanets), limiting the observational capabilities of extraordinary machines that have been designed and built (with significant investment) with the purpose of pushing the boundaries of knowledge."
The project is anticipated to cover some 7,400 acres in area, around half the size of Manhattan, and includes thousands of electricity generation units, as well as a port, and ammonia and hydrogen production plants.
The ESO is urging AES Andes to relocate the project further away from the Paranal Observatory to preserve the dark skies of the region.
"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," Itziar de Gregorio, the ESO's representative in Chile, said in a statement. "It is crucial to consider alternative locations for this megaproject that do not endanger one of the world's most important astronomical treasures."
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