The world’s last unspoiled night sky, The Atacama Desert, is in peril. A U.S. energy company’s proposed 3,021-hectare complex could increase light pollution by 10%. “All the farther away places that astronomers built telescopes are now light polluted. We cannot escape from civilization anymore.”

ss:

*Astronomers from all over the world are mobilizing to keep our light-polluting civilization from creeping into what they have for years deemed sacred territory.* 

*The proverbial battle ground is the Atacama Desert in Chile, a high-land plateau in the foothills of the South American Andes. Scattered across its arid peaks at altitudes of over 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) are some of the world’s most powerful astronomical observatories. In addition to its remoteness, astronomers have earmarked Atacama for their most challenging observations because of the clarity through the atmosphere above it. Shielded by the more than 20,000-foot (6,000 m) summits of the magnificent Andes range, the air above Atacama is the driest on the planet. Clouds are scarce, rain is precious.*

*For the observatories it means more than 300 nights a year of perfectly unobstructed views of the most distant universe. A proposed industrial park threatens this hallowed night sky.*

*The U.S. energy company AES Energy is now planning to build a major complex in the area to produce green hydrogen using wind and solar power. Astronomers are concerned that light pollution from the 3,021-hectare development will increase the brightness of the night sky above so much that up to 30% of the faintest stars and galaxies could disappear from the telescopes’ view.* 

Don’t worry, civilization doesn’t look to be lasting much longer.