PARANAL & ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION IN THE DESERT PM – HALF DAY

We will depart from Antofagasta at 12:00 passing through the desert to visit the most advanced visible light observatory in the world, located at 2,600 feet high, where you can experience strong winds and extreme temperatures. Here we will have a guided tour of the facilities used by scientists from different countries, who wait for years to analyze the information provided by the Very Large Telescope, VLT (Very Large Telescope). After visiting Paranal, and touring the desert at dusk, we will visit La Mano del Desierto, by Mario Irarrázaval, which consists of a reinforced concrete sculpture eleven meters high, representing a left hand. According to its creator, it embodies a primitive and magical force, which seeks to move from the reflection on life and death. When the night comes, we will continue our learning about the stars with a surprising Astronomical activity. The observation will begin with open eyes showing the constellations visible that night (Orion, Taurus, Canis Major among others), the planets of our solar system and their location in relation to the Sun. We will learn about the dimensions of the planets, the creation of the universe and its expansion, to then observe with astronomical binoculars (this is to expand the observation) and then you will see the same planets with telescope. All the activity will be carried out in a desert valley on the way to the Geoglifos of Raúl Zurita and on the way to the Salar de Yungay, areas that have ideal climatic conditions for astronomical activities.

-Regular tour departs everyday, all year long.
-Private tour departure schedule is coordinated previously with the passenger depending on their availability.