World's largest telescopes threatened by light pollution
ESO's telescopes face 10% light pollution threat from AES's $10B hydrogen project.
One of the most significant concerns for astronomers today is the potential increase in light pollution due to a proposed $10 billion renewable energy project, the INNA Renewables Park, led by AES near the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. The project could increase sky brightness by up to 10%, significantly impacting the observatory's ability to view faint galaxies, thereby diminishing its world-class status.
The Very Large Telescope, known for breakthroughs such as capturing the first direct image of an exoplanet, depends on the Atacama Desert's dark skies. New developments like this energy park, spread over 7,400 acres, threaten to emit light comparable to a city of 20,000 people, affecting both the existing $840 million telescope and the forthcoming $1.5 billion Extremely Large Telescope at Mount Armazones.
ESO Director General Xavier Barcons is not against the renewable project itself but is concerned about its proximity, suggesting that moving the park 50 kilometers further away would mitigate the issue. Additionally, the ESO calls for stricter legal protections of Chile's skies, critical for astronomical observations, to prevent similar threats from occurring in the future.