The Atacama Desert in Chile is home to some of the most pristine dark sky on the satellite . Among the astronomical sites , Cerro Paranal has the darkest and clearest skies – it is no fortuity that some of the most sophisticated observatories are located there . Now , all of them are being threatened by a raw industrial project locate just a handful of km off .
AES Andes – a subsidiary of the US energy conglomerate AES Corporation – is planning to build hydrogen and ammonia output plant , an industrial port , and thousands of generators over an area of 3,000 hectares . That ’s about one - third of the area of Manhattan .
The project’senvironmental wallop assessmentwas submitted by AES Chile on Christmas Eve , but the company has yet to make an investment conclusion . The potential locations of the megaproject are between 5 and 11 kilometers ( 3 and 7 miles ) from the observatory , incredibly close to the European Southern Observatory sites and their pristine sky .
“ The proximity of the AES Andes industrial megaproject to Paranal poses a critical hazard to the most pristine dark skies on the planet , ” ESO Director General , Xavier Barcons read in astatement . “ rubble emissions during construction , increased atmospheric turbulence , and especially light contamination will irreparably impact the capabilities for astronomical observation , which have thus far attracted multi - billion - Euro investments by the governments of the ESO Member States . ”
atmospherical stability – thanks to a region with modified air pollution , plus the deficiency of any nearby informant oflight pollution – makes the part ideal for uranology . The Very orotund Telescope and several other telescopes are at Paranal , and the Extremely big Telescope is being build not too far out .
“ Chile , and in special Paranal , is a truly particular place for uranology — its grim skies are a natural inheritance that transcends its borders and benefit all humanity , ” added Itziar de Gregorio , ESO ’s Representative in Chile . “ It is important to consider alternate locations for this megaproject that do not endanger one of the creation ’s most important astronomic treasure . ”
The increment of light defilement globally isendangering the nighttime sky , which is a common inheritance of humanity . People are calling how we are becoming more and more disconnected from what the sky at night should take care like " nostalgia " . And it could be affecting our wellness and the environment in multiple mode – just latterly , a contact between unreasonable light pollution andAlzheimer ’s diseasein under-65s was uncover .
