La Silla airglow

While the brilliantly clear skies that can be found high up in Chile provide telescopes with fantastic views on the Universe, they also allow us to see effects that are closer to home. The night sky here above ESO's La Silla Observatory is lit up with a natural effect known as airglow, a result of chemical reactions high up in the atmosphere.

The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are also visible as white splodges in the green glow.