Mars, 2099?
In einer kalten, dunklen Nacht auf dem Mars inmitten einer trockenen Wüste, windet sich eine schmale Straße mit künstlicher Beleuchtung zu einem einsamen Außenposten auf den Gipfel eines alten Berges. Das zumindest könnte ein Science-Fiction-Fan anhand dieserunwriklichen Ansicht vorstellen.
Das Foto zeigt in Wirklichkeit das Paranal-Observatorium, die Heimat des Very Large Telescopes (VLT) und auf der Erde. Gleichwohl fällt es leicht, sich das Bild als einen zukünftigen Blick auf den Mars vorzustellen, vielleicht am Ende dieses Jahrhunderts. Aus diesem Grund hat Julien Girard, der das Bild aufgenommen hat, es “Mars 2099“ benannt.
In 2600 Metern Höhe gelegen befindet sich das Paranal-Observatorium in einer der trockensten und verlassendsten Gegenden der Erde in der chilenischen Atacama-Wüste. Die Landschaft ist so marsähnlich, dass die European Space Agency (ESA) und die NASA in dieser Region ihre Marsrover testen. Beispielsweise testete vor kurzem ein ESA-Team den selbsttätig lenkenden Seeker-Roboter, wie in ann12048 beschrieben.
Dieses Bild wurde in der Dämmerung vom benachbarten Gipfel des VISTA-Durchmusterungsteleskops in Richtung des VLTs blickend aufgenommen. In Richtung Westen liegt der Pazifik, nur etwa 12 Kilometer vom Paranal entfernt. Aufsteigend vom Gipfel des Paranal erkennt man die Milchstraße mit dem markantesten Sternbild des Südhimmels – dem Kreuz des Südens.
Auf dem Paranal kann der Himmel in mondlosen Nächten so klar und dunkel sein, dass das Licht der Milchstraße ausreicht, um Schatten zu werfen. Aus diesem Grund hat die ESO den Berg als Standort für das VLT ausgewählt. Das Observatorium profitiert daher von den besten Beobachtungsbedingungen auf der Welt.
Julien Girard ist ein ESO-Astronom in Chile und arbeitet am VLT. Diese Aufnahme hat er in der Your ESO Pictures Flickrgruppe veröffentlicht. Die Flickrgruppe wird regelmäßig geprüft und die besten Bilder werden für das Bild der Woche oder für die Bildergalerien ausgewählt. Im Jahr 2012 sind als Teil des 50-jährigen Jubiläums der ESO auch historische Bilder mit ESO-Bezug willkommen.
Links
- ESO-Kurzmeldung “Selbstlenkender Marsroboter am Paranal-Observatorium der ESO getestet”
- STFC-Pressemitteilung “Revolutionary navigation system for future Mars rovers”
- Diese Aufnahme mit Kommentaren in Julien Girards Flickr-Fotostream
- Julien Girards Flickr-Fotostream
- Die “Your ESO Pictures” Flickrgruppe
- Die Ankündigung zu "Your ESO Pictures"
ESO/J. Girard (djulik.com)
Über das Bild
| ID: | potw1226a |
| Sprache: | de |
| Typ: | Fotografisch |
| Veröffentlichungsdatum: | 25. Juni 2012 10:00 |
| Größe: | 5184 x 3456 px |
Über das Objekt
| Name: | Very Large Telescope |
| Typ: | Unspecified : Technology : Observatory |
Bildformate
Our use of Cookies
We use cookies that are essential for accessing our websites and using our services. We also use cookies to analyse, measure and improve our websites’ performance, to enable content sharing via social media and to display media content hosted on third-party platforms.
ESO Cookies Policy
The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy. It carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities for astronomy.
This Cookies Policy is intended to provide clarity by outlining the cookies used on the ESO public websites, their functions, the options you have for controlling them, and the ways you can contact us for additional details.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your device by websites you visit. They serve various purposes, such as remembering login credentials and preferences and enhance your browsing experience.
Categories of cookies we use
Essential cookies (always active): These cookies are strictly necessary for the proper functioning of our website. Without these cookies, the website cannot operate correctly, and certain services, such as logging in or accessing secure areas, may not be available; because they are essential for the website’s operation, they cannot be disabled.
Functional Cookies: These cookies enhance your browsing experience by enabling additional features and personalization, such as remembering your preferences and settings. While not strictly necessary for the website to function, they improve usability and convenience; these cookies are only placed if you provide your consent.
Analytics cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors interact with our website, such as which pages are visited most often and how users navigate the site. This data helps us improve website performance, optimize content, and enhance the user experience; these cookies are only placed if you provide your consent. We use the following analytics cookies.
Matomo Cookies:
This website uses Matomo (formerly Piwik), an open source software which enables the statistical analysis of website visits. Matomo uses cookies (text files) which are saved on your computer and which allow us to analyze how you use our website. The website user information generated by the cookies will only be saved on the servers of our IT Department. We use this information to analyze www.eso.org visits and to prepare reports on website activities. These data will not be disclosed to third parties.
On behalf of ESO, Matomo will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage.
Matomo cookies settings:
Additional Third-party cookies on ESO websites: some of our pages display content from external providers, e.g. YouTube.
Such third-party services are outside of ESO control and may, at any time, change their terms of service, use of cookies, etc.
YouTube: Some videos on the ESO website are embedded from ESO’s official YouTube channel. We have enabled YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode, meaning that no cookies are set unless the user actively clicks on the video to play it. Additionally, in this mode, YouTube does not store any personally identifiable cookie data for embedded video playbacks. For more details, please refer to YouTube’s embedding videos information page.
Cookies can also be classified based on the following elements.
Regarding the domain, there are:
- First-party cookies, set by the website you are currently visiting. They are stored by the same domain that you are browsing and are used to enhance your experience on that site;
- Third-party cookies, set by a domain other than the one you are currently visiting.
As for their duration, cookies can be:
- Browser-session cookies, which are deleted when the user closes the browser;
- Stored cookies, which stay on the user's device for a predetermined period of time.
How to manage cookies
Cookie settings: You can modify your cookie choices for the ESO webpages at any time by clicking on the link Cookie settings at the bottom of any page.
In your browser: If you wish to delete cookies or instruct your browser to delete or block cookies by default, please visit the help pages of your browser:
Please be aware that if you delete or decline cookies, certain functionalities of our website may be not be available and your browsing experience may be affected.
You can set most browsers to prevent any cookies being placed on your device, but you may then have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site/page. And some services and functionalities may not work properly at all (e.g. profile logging-in, shop check out).
Updates to the ESO Cookies Policy
The ESO Cookies Policy may be subject to future updates, which will be made available on this page.
Additional information
For any queries related to cookies, please contact: pdprATesoDOTorg.
As ESO public webpages are managed by our Department of Communication, your questions will be dealt with the support of the said Department.