Modern Observatory in South America Captivates German President

The Atacama Desert in Chile, renowned for its exceptionally dark skies, serves as an ideal location for astronomical exploration. During a recent visit to the European Southern Observatory (ESO), German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his admiration for the scientific work being conducted there. He described the site as a 'magical place on Earth,' highlighting the advanced technology that allows researchers to delve deep into the cosmos, reaching back to the origins of the universe, nearly to the Big Bang.

Steinmeier toured the Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility, situated on the 2,635-meter-high Paranal Mountain. According to the ESO, the VLT is considered the flagship observatory of European ground-based astronomy and is one of the most sophisticated optical instruments globally. This telescope array provides an unparalleled view of the universe, offering high-resolution images and the ability to combine the four telescopes for enhanced observation.

However, the future of these observations from the Paranal site is uncertain. Scientists have raised concerns regarding a proposed 'industrial megaproject' by the US energy company AES, planned to be developed approximately five to eleven kilometers from the observatory. This project poses a substantial risk of 'irreversible impairment' to astronomical observations in the area. The ESO is advocating for the project's relocation to mitigate its potential impact on scientific research.

Additionally, Steinmeier visited the construction site of the next-generation telescope, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which is slated to commence operations in 2028. The ESO, headquartered in Garching near Munich, claims that the ELT will tackle many of the most pressing unanswered questions in astronomy and could fundamentally change our understanding of the universe, similar to the revolutionary impact of Galileo Galilei's telescope 400 years ago.