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Otherworldly, On Earth

If your first thought upon seeing this picture was that the terrain seems otherworldly and somewhat Martian, you’re not alone; parts of the desert shown here are actually used by NASA to test the space agency’s Mars rovers, as the terrain here is thought to be similar to that of the Red Planet. This is in fact the Chilean Atacama Desert, a 1000-kilometre-long strip of land running down the Pacific coast and the site of ESO’s Paranal Observatory: one of the best and most productive astronomical sites in the world. The skies above this dusty wilderness boast exceptionally clear and dark qualities; Paranal Observatory enjoys a whopping 300 clear nights every year!

Credit:

ESO/Gerhard Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com)

About the Image

Id:paranal-panorama2
Type:Photographic
Release date:25 January 2021, 14:16
Size:10044 x 2972 px

About the Object

Name:Atacama Desert, Cerro Paranal, Paranal, Paranal Residencia, Very Large Telescope
Type:Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope
Category:Paranal

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