Aerial view of Paranal and Atacama desert

Aerial view of Paranal and its immediate surroundings in the Atacama desert. The Pacific Ocean is seen in the background. The buildings at the base camp are seen below and to the left of the summit. At the moment of this exposure, the aircraft was located right over the"Old Panamerica Road 3", some 10 km from the observatory. (Photo obtained on December 16, 1997).