Mars 2099?
Een koude donkere nacht op Mars, middenin een dorre woestijn. Een smalle door kunstlicht aangelichte weg slingert zich naar een eenzame, door mensen bewoonde buitenpost op de top van een oude berg. Of tenminste... dat is wat een sciencefiction fan zou kunnen maken van dit bijna onaardse uitzicht.
De foto toont eigenlijk ESO's Paranal Observatorium, de aardse thuisbasis van de Very Large Telescope (VLT). Toch kun je je er wel iets bij voorstellen. Misschien aan het eind van deze eeuw, een toekomstig uitzicht op Mars. Daarom gaf fotograaf Julien Girard deze foto de titel "Mars 2099".
Gelegen op 2600 meter hoogte, bevindt ESO's Paranal Observatorium zich in één van de droogste en meest desolate gebieden op aarde; de Chileense Atacama woestijn. Het landschap is zo Martiaans, dat de European Space Agency (ESA) en de NASA in deze regio de Mars rovers testen. Een ESA-team testte bijvoorbeeld onlangs de zelf-sturende Seeker rover, zoals te lezen is in ann12048 .
Dit beeld werd genomen in de schemering, vanaf de VISTA-onderzoek telescoop op een aangrenzende piek in de richting van de VLT in het zuidwesten. In het westen ligt de Grote Oceaan op ongeveer 12 kilometer van Paranal. Uit de top van Paranal lijkt de Melkweg op te rijzen, met het onmiskenbare herkenningspunt van de zuidelijke hemel - het Zuiderkruis.
Op Paranal, kan de lucht zo helder, en tijdens maanloze nachten, zo donker zijn dat alleen al het licht van de Melkweg genoeg is om schaduwen te creëren. Daarom koos ESO deze plek voor de VLT, en profiteert deze sterrenwacht van één van de beste observatieomstandigheden ter wereld.
Julien Girard is een ESO-astronoom gevestigd in Chili en werkzaam bij de VLT. Hij stuurde deze foto naar de Flickr pagina "Your ESO Pictures". De foto's in deze groep worden regelmatig beoordeeld en de beste foto's plaatsen we als Foto van de Week, of in onze photo gallery. In 2012, als onderdeel van de 50-jarig jubileum jaar ESO's, zijn ook uw historische ESO-gerelateerde beelden welkom.
Links
- ESO aankondiging, “Self-steering Mars Rover tested at ESO’s Paranal Observatory” (Engels)
- STFC persbericht, “Revolutionary navigation system for future Mars rovers” (Engels)
- This photograph, with annotations, on Julien Girard’s Flickr photostream
- Julien Girard’s Flickr fotopagina
- De “Your ESO Pictures” Flickr groep
- De "Your ESO Pictures" aankondiging (Engels)
Vertaling: Peter Middelkoop
Credit:ESO/J. Girard (djulik.com)
Over de afbeelding
| Id: | potw1226a |
| Taal: | nl-be |
| Type: | Fotografisch |
| Publicatiedatum: | 25 juni 2012 10:00 |
| Grootte: | 5184 x 3456 px |
Over het object
| Naam: | Very Large Telescope |
| Type: | Unspecified : Technology : Observatory |
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