Star gazing in the Desert.
About four months ago at the end of February, my French friend Emilie kindly invited me to join her and a group of about thirteen people to go out into the desert to observe the stars. The team was led by a rather eccentric French professor who teaches astronomy at one of the most prestigious universities in Antofagasta.
We set off at about three o’clock in the afternoon with the professor’s truck filled with a vast range of supplies, blankets to keep warm, food and water and most importantly his hefty astronomical equipment. We left the urban setting of Antofagasta and drove about an hour deeper into the dessert until the Professor found an appropriate spot for observation. We spent the first few hours enjoying the scenery, with the hills of the desert, sea and clouds all blending mystically into one. There is a great sense of isolation in the desert.
As well as the professor, there was another young Chilean astronomer who works at the Paranal Observatory, one of the largest and most cutting edge astronomical centers in the world where astronomers come to carry out their research. In comparison to the French professor’s bulky telescope which he had for several years, (and was extremely fond of!) this man’s telescope was much more modern and compact, I was surprised by how quickly and with such ease he was able to locate specific stars and planets.
Waiting for the sun to set, we all enjoyed warm cups of tea and coffee while chatting with the other group members, we were a particularly international party composed of Chileans, French, a few Brits and a German which made it a very interesting and enriching experience.
As dusk fell, the two astronomers prepared their telescopes for observation, with the more modern telescope I saw Jupiter, Saturn (you could even see its ring!) and open and closed clusters. A Chilean lady in the group, another astronomer pointed out the Milky Way which was particularly exciting because you could appreciate its vastness and clarity even without a telescope. With the larger telescope, I witnessed some open and closed clusters and before leaving I observed the Moon, an amazing experience as we could see everything in such detail, including the moon’s craters!
Moments while the astronomers were preparing the next viewing I found it captivating just looking up at the stars, it was astounding with such lucidity they could be seen. During the tour we were taught about “Contaminación de Luz” (light pollution), a process whereby the reflection of the lights in the sky at night make it harder for us to study the stars, which explains why people flock to the desert to star gaze. I had never seen the night sky filled with so many stars, I was astounded by its splendor, there was a sense of timelessness that evening. We stayed in the desert till about 1:30 am by which time the wind had picked up, it was very cold but fortunately I have grown accustomed to the dramatic change in temperature in the desert and I was well prepared with warm clothes.
Something I have discovered while on my year abroad is that so many opportunities are passed through word of mouth and you should take advantage of every invitation that comes your way. I must admit, I have never been particularly keen on astronomy or Physics however going out into the desert and seeing things which I had only ever previously seen in a textbook firsthand made a world of difference. Sometimes you should just take chances. My star gazing trip in the Atacama Desert was a truly remarkable and unforgettable experience.
The French Professor
The more modern telescope.
Our Group
Our chosen spot for observation.
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