Observation of the universe from Earth could suffer an unprecedented blow if the project that a multinational intends to build next to the Paranal Observatory, in the Atacama Desert, in Chile, goes ahead. There is the Very Large Telescope (VLT), a complex of four leading telescopes belonging to the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which allows you to observe objects in the universe like no other place in the world.
As reported by ESO, on December 24, the company AES Andes, a subsidiary of the American energy company AES Corporation, presented for the evaluation of its environmental impact the project of an immense industrial complex just between 5 and 11 kilometers from the Paranal telescopes. , which would cause irreparable damage to astronomical observations due to light pollution.
The project covers an industrial complex of more than 3,000 hectares that includes the construction of a port, ammonia and hydrogen production plants and thousands of electricity generation units. As advertised by the company itself, the megaproject, which will involve a investment of 10 billion dollarsalso includes three solar parks, three wind farms, battery storage systems and a desalination plant.
The last window to the universe
“The fact that the AES Andes industrial megaproject is so close to Paranal represents a critical risk for the most pristine night skies on the planet,” he says. Xavier Barconsgeneral director of ESO. “Dust emissions during construction, increased atmospheric turbulence and, especially, light pollution, will have an irreparable impact on astronomical observation capabilities, which have so far attracted multi-million-dollar investments by Member State governments. of THAT.”
Dust emissions during construction and light pollution will have an irreparable impact
Xavier Barcons
— General Director of ESO
The contributions of the Paranal Observatory since its inauguration in 1999 have been fundamental to science. From here, the observations were made that made it possible to detect the supermassive black hole located in the center of the Milky Way, which were worthy of a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020, as well as the first image of an exoplanet and confirmation of the accelerated expansion of the universe.
The construction of this megacomplex not only threatens the present of astronomy, but also its future, since very close by, on Cerro Armazones, the Extremely Large Telescope ESO’s (ELT) telescope, the world’s largest telescope of its kind, a revolutionary facility that will dramatically change what we know about our universe. And even closer, 5 km from the megacomplex, the CTA is planned (Cherenkov Telescope Array), the largest gamma ray observatory in the world, with strong Spanish participation.
It is the last window to the universe that has pristine skies as our ancestors saw them. We need that darkness to take the next leap in astronomical knowledge
Itziar de Gregorio
— ESO Representative in Chile
“We have selected this area of the Atacama Desert because of the very dark skies and hardly any turbulence,” he explains. Itziar de Gregoriorepresentative of ESO in Chile, to elDiario.es. “It is the last window to the universe that has pristine skies as our ancestors saw them. We need that darkness to take the next leap in astronomical knowledge and provide answers to questions that humanity has, such as whether we are alone in the universe. “All this ends if this megaproject is placed there.”
“They are going to destroy the place”
The story of this nonsense began in 2020 when the company approached the observatory and reported its intention to build a small wind and solar energy project next to the observatory. “We came to the conclusion that, although they were not going to cause light pollution, there were other factors such as turbulence that could affect us, but they presented it and it was approved,” explains De Gregorio. “This same year they contacted us again in August, saying that they were going to present a much larger project.”
The company claims that the place has ideal wind and solar radiation conditions, as well as access to the road and sea, but ESO claims that there is a line of hundreds of kilometers in the same desert that has the same characteristics. The astronomical organization presented its fears regarding the continuity of the observatory to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile and they responded with the formation of an inter-ministerial table together with the ministries of Science, Energy and Economy.
“They have been discussing and debating the possibility of the projects coexisting,” explains Itziar de Gregorio. “We have met and shown them some simulations that show the impact and that, if they move a few kilometers further, we could coexist.” These simulations have determined a minimum distance of between 50 and 100 km so that the complex’s activity does not affect the telescopes, compared to just 10 km now.
We have shown them some simulations that show the impact and that, if they move a few kilometers further, we could coexist
Itziar de Gregorio
— ESO Representative in Chile
“Now the project has entered the environmental impact evaluation and that is the news, because the regulations say that if they present a reasonable initiative they will approve it,” says the head of ESO. Although there is a new light pollution standard, arriving in 2024, it establishes that if a megaproject of this type manages to pollute less than 10%, it would be within reasonable limits. “What it does not contemplate is the distance to the astronomical facilities, nor that another project comes, is placed next to it and adds more pollution, which is what is going to happen. “They’re going to destroy the place, basically.”
A few months to prevent it
The hope of astronomers is to exhaust the deadlines to present allegations in the coming months and mobilize the international scientific community to present them and exert pressure on the Chilean government. “We have until the end of March for anyone who can to send these types of allegations,” says De Gregorio. “Once it is approved, this problem would have to be escalated in some way, because I understand that the company could start building the project.”
The construction process will generate dust and vibrations that would affect a reference observatory in the world of astronomy, this damage could be enormous
Antxon Alberdi
— Director of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC)
“Chile is committed to protecting the quality of the sky, so it surprises me that it finally allows a project of this type,” he says. Antxon Alberdidirector of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC). “The entire construction process will generate dust and vibrations that would affect a reference observatory in the world of astronomy; that damage could be enormous.”
In Alberdi’s opinion, this type of threat is added to others such as the satellite networks of Elon Musk’s Starlink company, whose radio signals are affecting large radio telescopes. “Paradoxically, at the moment when we have the best telescopes and can obtain more details of the universe, which require ultrasensitive observations, we are encountering these situations. “It’s the last thing we had expected.”
Jesus Gallegoprofessor of Astrophysics at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and responsible for the Spanish contribution to the MOSAIC instrument for the giant European ELT telescope that is being built at the ESO observatory in Chile, remembers that this place houses some of the largest scientific facilities on the planet. “Financing agencies around the world are making a huge investment in the development and maintenance of these facilities,” he emphasizes. “It is not acceptable to allow any type of industry to be built in its vicinity, since regardless of the type of facility, it will generate different types of pollution that are incompatible with the operation of these large scientific facilities. “We express our deepest rejection.”
At the closing time of this edition (8:00 p.m.), the company AES Chile has not responded to our requests for information.
Source: www.eldiario.es
