ESO: Snow Falling on ALMA Telescopes

Credit: ESO/José Francisco Salgado

This image shows a wintry La Silla Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert sitting beneath the Milky Way.

Despite the telescopes’ location in one of the best areas for astronomical observation, at an altitude of 7800 feet (2400 meters), the desert cannot completely escape winter weather, including snow blanketing the mountain peak and telescope domes.

The high altitude sites operated by the ESA European Southern Observatory (ESO) can experience both hot and cold temperatures through the year, including sometimes harsh conditions.