Alert: Major Threat Looms Over Europe’s Premier Astronomy Destination

Proposed industrial “megaproject” would “irreversible harm” to Chilean facilities, warns European Southern Observatory

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has cautioned that plans to construct an “industrial megaproject” near its crucial site pose a “critical hazard” to astronomy.

The ESO unites 16 European nations to promote research utilizing facilities at three locations in Chile, based on an agreement that takes advantage of the country’s location in the southern hemisphere and vast areas with minimal human presence for unique cosmic observations.

On January 10, it announced that AES Andes, a branch of a US energy firm, intends to create an industrial complex “approximately the size of a city” near the Paranal Observatory, deemed “the premier facility of European astronomy.”

This initiative “jeopardizes the untouched skies” above the observatory situated in the Atacama Desert, recognized as “the darkest and clearest among astronomical observatories globally,” according to the ESO.

“The industrial megaproject is slated to be positioned just 5 to 11km from the telescopes at Paranal, which would lead to irreparable detriment to astronomical observations, particularly due to light pollution,” stated the ESO.

Only relocating the complex will avert “irreversible harm,” it emphasized.

‘Essential resource for astronomers globally’

Since its inauguration in 1999, the Paranal Observatory has enabled “significant advancements in astronomy,” including research on the universe’s expansion and the black hole at the heart of our galaxy, the ESO mentioned.

It characterized the site, which hosts instruments such as the Very Large Telescope array, as “an essential resource for astronomers around the globe, including those in Chile.”

Proposals for the industrial complex, which would feature a port, ammonia and hydrogen production facilities, alongside thousands of electricity-generating units, were submitted for environmental impact evaluation late last year, according to the ESO.

“The nearness of the AES Andes industrial megaproject to Paranal represents a significant risk to the most pristine night skies on Earth,” declared ESO Director General Xavier Barcons.

“Dust emissions during construction, heightened atmospheric turbulence, and especially light pollution will permanently affect the capabilities for astronomical observation, which have so far attracted investments in the billions of euros.”

Research Professional News has reached out to AES Andes and Chilean officials for their remarks.