The pristine night skies above the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope in Chile are under threat due to a proposed $10 billion renewable energy complex. The project, planned by US energy giant AES, could increase light pollution by up to 10%, potentially diminishing the VLT’s status as the world’s premier observatory.
The ESO Director General, Xavier Barcons, warns that this increase in brightness would prevent observation of up to 30% of faint galaxies currently visible. The VLT’s sensitivity has allowed groundbreaking discoveries, including the first direct image of an exoplanet and the unveiling of the cosmic web structure.
The energy complex, known as INNA Renewables Park, will span over 7,400 acres in Chile’s Atacama Desert and feature solar farms, wind farms, and hydrogen production facilities. The ESO estimates that it could leak as much light into the night sky as a city of 20,000 people.
To mitigate this issue, Barcons suggests relocating the energy complex 50km (31 miles) further away from the observatory to resolve the problem. The ESO is also calling for stricter legal protections of the Chilean night sky, particularly around observatories in the Atacama Desert.
The project is still in its early stages and pending final approval. AES Chile states that community engagement is a top priority in the environmental study submitted last month.
Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/106412-world-largest-telescopes-threatened-renewable-energy-project-light.html