After a few days spent in the coastal town of Mejillones we head south toward the summit of Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert. Along the way we restock supplies at a shopping center in Antofagasta. There was also a good pizza to fortify us. Just a few kilometers out of town the landscape changes into something that is hard to describe in words. Road number 28 leading out of the town climbs into the surrounding hills and after a few kilometers joins the main Chilean route, Route 5, which runs from the northern parts of Chile toward the south. A few kilometers south we turn onto road B710, which in less than an hour brings us to the airstrip serving the observatory staff at Cerro Paranal. Here we turn west (right) onto the road called Acceso Observatorio Paranal and climb toward the observatory. The road runs through barren land and the views fulfill the meaning of the word “nothing”.
Our progress is stopped only by the gate of the research facility at an elevation of about 2 400 m n. m. The guard informs us of what we basically already knew: public access is possible only once a week and must be reserved in advance. We parked in front of the gate and I take out the drone. I try to fly as close as possible to the summit of Cerro Paranal, but it is still a respectable 2,5 kilometres away and roughly 230 vertical metres higher, at 2 635 m n. m. Strong wind prevents me from flying all the way to the summit, but I still manage to take a few successful shots.
We move on and look for a suitable spot to observe the night sky, which we finally find a short distance from the entrance gate. We have a nice view in all directions and also a good view of the summit and the observatory on it. We are very early, the night is still far off, so — somewhat paradoxically — we pass the time sunbathing. Judging by the ruts in the terrain it is clear that more people come here. Nevertheless we end up spending the whole night completely alone. Just as we hoped.
All around us are only vast hills and a desert that feels completely abandoned. Despite the altitude of about 2 400 m n. m. the temperature here is surprisingly high, about 30 °C. No water anywhere, no trees, no plants, no signs of life. Just tens and tens of kilometres of nothing. Exactly the kind of place where you realize how big the world is and how small you are.
Atacama – the gateway to space
High altitude, zero light pollution and almost zero humidity. These very conditions make the area around Cerro Paranal one of the best places on the planet for observing the universe. It’s no coincidence that the European Southern Observatory operates here, running some of the world’s most powerful telescopes on the summit. Cerro Paranal is known even outside the scientific community. The final scenes of the Bond film Quantum of Solace were shot here. When you look around, you understand why. The landscape feels raw, alien and completely detached from reality.
In the distance across the valley we notice the construction of another huge telescope on the nearby but significantly higher summit Cerro Armazones (3 046 m). This is further proof that the Atacama has a great future in astronomy.
The star show begins
After a few hours of sunbathing the sunset slowly but surely arrives. We say farewell to the day and prepare for the great show. For hundreds of kilometres around us there are no light sources. The sky is crystal clear and we sense that an exceptional night awaits us. Of course, we need to change quickly. We are in the desert and the ambient temperature drops dramatically fast after sunset.
The evening skies play with incredible colours – from pale orange, through pink and purple to dark blue. Everything starts subtly. First a few of the brightest objects appear in the sky – Jupiter, Mars, later Venus and Saturn. Only after them do the first stars show up.
Everything changes very quickly. Approximately two hours after sunset the stars in the sky can no longer be counted. The Milky Way is clearly visible, stretching across the sky like a band of light. Above our heads not only is there a star show, but also a view into deep space – with the naked eye we can even see distant galaxies. When you realize you are observing objects millions of light years away, you understand that this is not just a pretty night sky. It is a true cosmic experience.
Around midnight the observatory starts operating. From the summit of Cerro Paranal a powerful laser beam shoots into the sky. It is used to calibrate the telescopes’ adaptive optics, which eliminate distortion caused by the Earth’s atmosphere. Seeing this process live, in the absolute darkness of the desert, is a powerful, even chilling moment. Chilling also because in a few hours the temperature has dropped from pleasant sunbathing values to almost freezing.
When creating time-lapses the Earth’s rotation is beautifully revealed. Stars draw arcs across the sky and the night gets its own rhythm. All that’s left is to add the classic: And yet it moves!
This whole beautiful show could be watched endlessly, but the falling temperature slowly forces us to get into warmth. First we try it on the bed of our pickup. It sounds like a good idea – lay out sleeping pads, crawl into sleeping bags and lie back to watch the night sky until you fall asleep. Unfortunately the cold penetrates through the metal structure of the vehicle into our sleeping bags. After about an hour we decide to get into the car.
Make a wish
When the cold reaches the cabin of our car, I grab the tripod, camera, headlamp and especially a hat and gloves, and head to a nearby hill a few hundred metres from the car. From there I have the entire summit of Cerro Paranal in the palm of my hand. I set up the tripod, turn on the camera and set a time-lapse for the next 20 minutes. I secretly hope that all this activity will warm me up at least a little.
In the end something completely different gets my blood racing. After a few minutes of shooting the night sky I see a meteor fall from west to east. A long streak across half the sky right above the observatory and at its end a bright flash – and the celestial show is over. My gaze goes to the still-running camera. I can only hope that it managed to capture the moment. Later it turns out it did! And one of my photographic dreams finally comes true – photographing a falling star.
Only near morning, shortly before sunrise, does the Moon rise. Everything around us begins to cast shadows and the faint details of the night sky gradually vanish. The Moon simply overwhelms them with its glow. Just before sunrise we watch the morning colours reflected on the telescopes at the summit of Cerro Paranal. Tired, frozen, but full of unique experiences from this mystical place, we wait for the sunrise in the hope its rays will finally warm us.
Cerro Paranal Observatory
Construction of the observatory on Cerro Paranal began in 1999. More than 30 metres of the mountain’s summit were removed to create a flat platform for the telescopes. It is one of the largest astronomical projects of its kind in the world. If you ever come here, a tour of the observatory is definitely worth it – we, unfortunately, didn’t have time for it.
Beneath the summit itself the entire support infrastructure for the observatory staff operates – technical buildings, a gym, a heliport, a small airstrip and even a hotel.
Darkness as a commodity
On the way back to the main road we pass a traffic sign that makes perfect sense here. Darkness is a precious commodity. If you want to get here by car at night, you have to do it without using lights.
And that best describes Cerro Paranal. A place where darkness still belongs to nature – and to the stars. And one more thing to finish: if you ever go here, ideally time your visit for the new moon, when the Moon’s glow will not spoil the unique experience of stargazing. Good luck!
Facts about Cerro Paranal
- Location: Atacama Desert, northern Chile
- Altitude: 2 635 m n. m.
- Climate: extremely dry, almost zero humidity, minimal cloud cover throughout the year
- Light pollution: practically zero – one of the darkest places on Earth
- Observatory: operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO)
- Main telescopes: Very Large Telescope (VLT) – four main 8.2 m telescopes + smaller auxiliary ones
- Construction start: 1999 (more than 30 m of the mountain’s summit were removed)
- Significance: one of the most important astronomical sites in the world
- Public access: only through organized tours, with mandatory advance reservation