Over 20 million years old, this territory includes salt basins, sand and lava flows, and the driest sector is located south of the Loa River, west of the Domeyko mountain range and close to the municipality of San Pedro de Atacama and the town of Toconao, where ALMA is located. The cold Humbolt current and the Pacific anticyclone are fundamental in maintaining this dry climate. These volcanoes are all situated along the eastern side of the Atacama Salt Flat, forming a line of north-south trending volcanoes.
The soils in this site, interestingly enough, can be likened to those on Mars due to their dryness. After searching the world over for the perfect place to receive millimetric and submillimetric waves, scientists identified a plateau where the conditions were unmatched: Chajnantor.
At a high altitude, with a broad surface and favorable climate, ALMA had found its home. After dinner in a local restaurant, you will head to the desert with Abigail to observe the stars with your naked eye, away from the light pollution of the town.
In the desert, the Milky Way can be so bright your body casts a shadow. ESO provides funding for state-of-the-art research facilities and is supported by 15 European countries plus the UK and Chile. Here you will explore the Operations Support Facility at 3, meters above sea level and enjoy a full briefing.
You will see their control facilities that manage 66 antenae, laboratories, the gigantic antennas under maintenance and their antenna transporter. As this is international land, you will need to bring your passport. Later, in the afternoon, you will visit the Moon and Death Valleys, with their peculiar rock formations and otherworldly views. You will enjoy a cocktail as you watch the ever-changing colours during the stunning sunset.
Due to its extreme dryness, the Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the most important environments on Earth for researchers who need to approximate the conditions of Mars. After breakfast you will head to the Altiplano high plateau and its amazing landscapes, geyserfield, petrogryphs, intensely coloured lagoons and giant salt flats with a very knowledgeable local guide.
Today is another early start as you we will head towards the Tatio geysers located to the north of San Pedro. They are the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the highest in the world at 4, meters. The geysers and fumaroles are at their most active in the early morning and watching the sunrise over the geyser field is a memorable experience. Breakfast will be served whilst you are there. On your way back, to you will stop at the town of Machuca, a traditional Altiplanic settlement located above 4, meters.
Your final stop is the Puritama Hot Springs, where you will be able to relax and enjoy the geothermal spring waters that emerge from the Andes. As the waters are sulfuric they are recommended for the relief of rheumatism and to combat stress and fatigue.
After breakfast, you will journey west across the Atacama to the port city of Antofagasta. At night, we'll observe in Ayllu de Solor. Very early in the morning, we'll travel less than 60 miles km from San Pedro of Atacama into the Andes mountain range. There, you will participate in one of the most astonishing phenomenon produced by nature, witnessing the contrasting colors produced by the steam columns in the highest geothermal field in the world.
You'll have the unique opportunity to swim in the mineral-rich spring waters of El Tatio. On our return we'll travel through the imposing Andes mountain range, observing plants and animals in their pristine, natural habitat against an incomparable volcanic backdrop.
We'll visit Machuca, a small village with an antique church located near El Tatio, then we'll make an excursion to the Valley of the Moon and the Valley of Mars: salt mountain ranges formed by successive foldings from the bottom of an ancient lake. An easy trek will take us to the top of a great dune, where we'll be able to appreciate the sunset and the changes of colors on the mountains. The valley owes its name to the red, grey, green, gray, and purple hills, whose colors come from their varied mineral composition.
Our tour will continue to Hierbas Buenas, where you'll find volcanic rock formations and petroglyphs that tell the history of the peoples who lived here long ago. In the evening, we'll enjoy a final dinner at a nice local restaurant. April 4: On our final day, we'll transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport before making the connection in Santiago for our international flights back home.
Book Now! Before long, astronomers from American institutions and from the European Southern Observatory ESO erected observatories in the middle of nowhere. These outposts experienced their heyday in the s and s, but many of the telescopes are still up and running. European astronomers use the 3. A dedicated megapixel camera attached to the four-meter inches Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is charting dark matter and dark energy—two mysterious components of the universe that no one really understands.
Check out their schedules in advance to prevent disappointment—the drive from La Serena to La Silla may take almost two hours, and the curvy mountain roads can be treacherous.
I once got my four-wheel-drive pickup truck in a spin while descending the gravel road from Las Campanas Observatory, a scary ride I hope never to repeat. Also, dress warm it can be extremely windy on the summits , wear sunglasses and apply loads of sunblock. Most professional observatories are open to visitors only during daytime hours.
Here amateur astronomers give tours and introductory lectures, and guides point out the constellations and let visitors gaze at stars and planets through a number of small telescopes.
Farther south, near the town of Andacollo, is Collowara Observatory, one of the newest tourist facilities in the region. Tours can be booked online or through travel agents in town.
I will never forget my first look at the Chilean night sky in May I was awed by the glorious constellations of Scorpio and the Southern Cross, the star-studded Milky Way with its many star clusters and nebulae, and of course the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds two companion galaxies to our own Milky Way. Little wonder that professional astrophotographers have fallen in love with Chile.
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