Juan-Carlos Munoz-Mateos
The futuristic hotel at Paranal Observatory
Is this an alien base in a distant planet? No! It’s the dome of the futuristic hotel at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, partially buried in the ground of the Atacama desert. Don’t worry, the faint light of the dome doesn’t affect the telescopes themselves, located a few kilometers away and much higher up. In fact the dome is usually covered by an internal canvas. That green filamentary veil, known as airglow, is light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere. The bright pink cloud is the Carina nebula; the smaller pink blob below it is the Running Chicken Nebula (don’t ask). And below it is the Southern Cross. Canon 6D + Rokinon 24mm, f2, 30 sec, ISO 3200, 3 vertical shots stitched together.
The futuristic hotel at Paranal Observatory
Is this an alien base in a distant planet? No! It’s the dome of the futuristic hotel at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, partially buried in the ground of the Atacama desert. Don’t worry, the faint light of the dome doesn’t affect the telescopes themselves, located a few kilometers away and much higher up. In fact the dome is usually covered by an internal canvas. That green filamentary veil, known as airglow, is light emitted by oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere. The bright pink cloud is the Carina nebula; the smaller pink blob below it is the Running Chicken Nebula (don’t ask). And below it is the Southern Cross. Canon 6D + Rokinon 24mm, f2, 30 sec, ISO 3200, 3 vertical shots stitched together.