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The Atacama Desert in northern Chile,

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one of the driest and most hostile environments in the world.

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Under the blazing Sun, only a few species of animals and plants have evolved to survive.

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Yet, this is where the European Southern Observatory

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operates its Very Large Telescope.

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Running this technological oasis in the barren desert,

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and making it a comfortable place for people to live, poses many challenges.

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This is the ESOcast! 

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Cutting-edge science and life behind the scenes of ESO,

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the European Southern Observatory.

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Exploring the ultimate frontier with our host Dr J, a.k.a. Dr Joe Liske. 

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Hello and welcome to the ESOcast.

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Cerro Paranal, in the heart of the Atacama Desert,

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is one of the best places in the world for observing the night sky.

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But operating an observatory with more than 100 staff in such a remote and isolated place

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poses a real logistical challenge.

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It’s like running a desert town.

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Everything that is needed to make this Mars-like landscape a haven for people

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has to be brought in from far away.

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The most essential delivery to the arid desert is water.

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The observatory needs up to 70 000 litres of water each day,

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and literally every drop has to be brought in from the town of Antofagasta,

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which lies about 120 kilometres away.

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Everyone at the observatory is careful not to waste water,

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and it is recycled as much as possible.

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In some ways, the Paranal hotel, called the Residencia,

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is the heart of the observatory.

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This is where people come to relax and escape the harsh desert environment

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and, very importantly, this is where the canteen is.

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Now, the quality of the food is absolutely crucial to everyone’s mood and motivation,

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and so the catering staff at the canteen

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are working very hard indeed to keep everyone happy.

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Sometimes, they even dish up a barbeque.

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But whatever they do, they always have to plan well ahead

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because they can’t just pop down to the shops.

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The nearest food suppliers, just like everything else,

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are about 120km away.

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Once a week, an important transport arrives at the Residencia,

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bringing in all the food needed to feed 100 people.

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Throughout the year some 200 tons of food are brought to the observatory.

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The kitchen staff must plan the meals carefully

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and make sure that all the goods that are needed are available on site,

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as there can be no last-minute shopping trips for this kitchen.

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Now, the remote location of the observatory also means

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that it has to generate its own power.

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About two megawatts are required to run the whole observatory.

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That includes the telescopes, the cooling of the domes,

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the other technical facilities, as well as the hotel.

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In addition, to ensure the smooth running of the facility

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it’s imperative that the power supply is reliable.

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The power plant at the Paranal Observatory.

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The plant is serviced at regular intervals to guarantee trouble-free operation.

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Like water, the gas needed to run the plant

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has to be brought in from the town of Antofagasta

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and deliveries are made every other day.

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 In the unlikely event

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that there is a problem with the electricity supply from the main power plant,

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a back-up supply from diesel generators can be used.

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Seeing Paranal from afar, amidst the stark desert landscape,

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it’s incredible to think about the 100 people who live and work here.

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Despite all the amenities, life in a desert town is clearly a challenge.

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There is a constant flow of people arriving and departing from the observatory.

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In addition to the ESO staff, about 2000 guests,

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such as visiting astronomers and journalists, are accommodated every year.

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The associated logistics are hard work for the staff.

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A car is serviced at the Paranal Observatory.

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Cars play an important role at the observatory,

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as the astronomers and engineers often need to drive several kilometres

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between the Residencia and the observing platform of the VLT.

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The car fleet is serviced at regular intervals by mechanics.

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Paranal also has its own petrol station,

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the next nearest filling station is some 100 kilometres away.

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As the Sun sets over Paranal, it’s time for us for us to leave the observatory.

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ESO has created a technological oasis in the barren Atacama Desert,

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ultimately it’s a window to the Universe

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and astronomers from all over the world come to enjoy the view.

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This is Dr J signing off for the ESOcast.

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Join me again next time for another cosmic adventure.

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ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory.

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ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy, 

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designing, constructing and operating the world’s most advanced ground-based telescopes.

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Transcription by ESO ; translation by —

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Now that you've caught up with ESO, 

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head 'out of this world' with Hubble. 

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The Hubblecast highlights the latest discoveries of the world´s most recognized and prized space observatory,

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the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope