“Devastating” and 'irreversible' effects: ESO warns again of industrial complex
A detailed analysis confirms the dramatic warnings about the consequences of an industrial megaproject for Europe's astronomy lighthouse.
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) behind the Paranal Observatory.
(Image: F. Millour/ESO)
The European Southern Observatory ESO has renewed its dramatic warning about an industrial complex near the Paranal Observatory in Chile, citing a detailed technical analysis. This confirms the results of a preliminary study and predicts “devastating” and “irreversible” consequences if the megaproject is allowed to be built. Light pollution above some observatories would then increase by 35 and more than 50 percent respectively, and there would also be a risk of increased air turbulence. In addition, vibrations could “seriously impair” the functioning of some facilities.
Search for an alternative location “of crucial importance”
The planned megaproject is an industrial complex covering over 3,000 hectares. This corresponds to the area of a large city, such as Garching near Munich. According to ESO, a port, ammonia, and hydrogen production plants and thousands of power generators are to be built there. The dust produced will be very harmful to astronomical observations, the research institute warned back in January. “It is crucial to consider alternative sites for this mega-project that do not jeopardize one of the world's most important astronomical treasures,” says Itziar de Gregorio, the ESO representative in Chile.
Videos by heise
According to the detailed analysis now presented, the project called “Inna” would increase light pollution at the Very Large Telescope by at least 35 percent, even though the two are 11 km apart. This increase is “incompatible” with world-class astronomical observations. Light pollution over the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO-South), which is only 5 km away from “Inna”, would even increase by at least 55 percent. Together with other restrictions, such as dust during construction work and vibrations during operation, this could severely disrupt research operations.
“With a brighter sky, we severely limit our ability to directly detect Earth-like exoplanets, observe faint galaxies and even monitor asteroids that could harm our planet,” de Gregorio now warns and says: “Taken together, these disruptions pose a serious threat to the current and long-term viability of the Paranal as the world's leading astronomical center, as they lead to the loss of important discoveries about the universe and jeopardize Chile's strategic advantage in this area.”
(mho)
