Sun, Moon and telescopes above the desert

The otherworldly beauty of Chile’s Atacama Desert, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), stretches to the horizon in this panorama. On Cerro Paranal, the highest peak in the centre of this image, are the four giant Unit Telescopes of the VLT, each of which has a mirror with a diameter of 8.2 metres. On the peak to the left of Cerro Paranal is the VISTA survey telescope. This 4.1-metre telescope surveys broad swathes of the heavens, searching for interesting targets which the VLT, as well as other telescopes on the ground and in space, will study in greater detail.

This region offers some of the best conditions for viewing the night sky found anywhere on our planet. On the right of this 360-degree panorama, the Sun is setting over the Pacific Ocean, throwing long shadows across the mountainscape. On the left, the Moon gleams in the sky. Soon, the night’s observations will begin.

This wonderful panorama was made by Serge Brunier, an ESO Photo Ambassador. It is one of many awe-inspiring images in which he captures ESO’s observatories, their beautiful locations, and the splendour of the skies above them.

Links

Enjoy also our exciting Virtual Tours.

Credit:

ESO/S. Brunier

Over de afbeelding

Id:potw1218a-ext
Type:Fotografisch
Publicatiedatum:4 september 2017 16:55
Grootte:16726 x 8363 px
Field of View:360° x 180°

Over het object

Naam:Panorama, Paranal
Type:Unspecified : Planet : Feature : Surface : Mountain
Unspecified : Technology : Observatory
Categorie:360 Panorama
Paranal

Image Formats

Grote JPEG
32,1 MB

Inzoomen


Wallpapers

1024x768
249,4 KB
1280x1024
396,7 KB
1600x1200
567,7 KB
1920x1200
666,0 KB
2048x1536
895,6 KB