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European
Southern
Observatory

Press Release

World's darkest and clearest skies at risk from industrial
megaproject

10 January 2025

 
Touching the Arc of Space
 

On December 24th, AES Andes, a subsidiary of the US power company AES
Corporation, submitted a project for a massive industrial complex for
environmental impact assessment. This complex threatens the pristine
skies above ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert, the
darkest and clearest of any astronomical observatory in the world [1]
. The industrial megaproject is planned to be located just 5 to 11
kilometres from telescopes at Paranal, which would cause irreparable
damage to astronomical observations, in particular due to light
pollution emitted throughout the project's operational life.
Relocating the complex would save one of Earth's last truly pristine
dark skies.

An irreplaceable heritage for humanity 

Since its inauguration in 1999, Paranal Observatory, built and
operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), has led to
significant astronomy breakthroughs, such as the first image of an
exoplanet and confirming the accelerated expansion of the Universe.
The Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020 was awarded for research on the
supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, in which
Paranal telescopes were instrumental. The observatory is a key asset
for astronomers worldwide, including those in Chile, which has seen
its astronomical community grow substantially in the last decades.
Additionally, the nearby Cerro Armazones hosts the construction of
ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the world's biggest telescope
of its kind -- a revolutionary facility that will dramatically change
what we know about our Universe.

"The proximity of the AES Andes industrial megaproject to Paranal
poses a critical risk to the most pristine night skies on the
planet," highlighted ESO Director General, Xavier Barcons. "Dust
emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence, and
especially light pollution 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."

The unprecedented impact of a megaproject 

The project encompasses an industrial complex of more than 3000
hectares, which is close to the size of a city, or district, such as
Valparaiso, Chile or Garching near Munich, Germany. It includes
constructing a port, ammonia and hydrogen production plants and
thousands of electricity generation units near Paranal.

Thanks to its atmospheric stability and lack 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 quest for life and the habitability
of other planets.

A call to protect the Chilean skies 

"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," said Itziar de Gregorio, ESO's
Representative in Chile. "It is crucial to consider alternative
locations for this megaproject that do not endanger one of the
world's most important astronomical treasures."

The relocation of this project remains the only effective way to
prevent irreversible damage to Paranal's unique skies. This measure
will not only safeguard the future of astronomy but also preserve one
of the last truly pristine dark skies on Earth.

Notes

[1] A study by Falchi and collaborators, published in 2023 in Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, compared light pollution
at all 28 major astronomical observatories, finding Paranal to be the
darkest site among them.

Contacts

Francisco Rodriguez
ESO Media Relations Officer
Santiago, Chile
Tel: +56 2 2463 3151
Email: francisco.rodriguez@eso.org

Barbara Ferreira
ESO Media Manager
Garching bei Munchen, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6670
Email: press@eso.org

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[                    ]
About the Release

Release No.: eso2501
Name:        Cerro Paranal, European Southern Observatory, Paranal
Type:        Unspecified : Technology : Observatory
Facility:    Very Large Telescope

Images

Touching the Arc of Space
PR Image eso2501a
Touching the Arc of Space
Light pollution at the world's major astronomical observatories
PR Image eso2501b
Light pollution at the world's major astronomical observatories
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Videos

Night sky beauty over Paranal
PR Video eso2501a
Night sky beauty over Paranal
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