Photo by @babaktafreshi
The World at Night project
Like time warp in a science fiction scene, these are in fact star trails created by the rotating sky (Earth rotation) in a long exposure timelapse from ALMA array of 66 radio telescopes, one of the world’s most complex and highest observatories at 5060 meters (16600ft), above the Atacama Desert in Chile. Up here in a pitch-black night for moments you feel lost in future, sometime in another century. The dishes move all together to a new target every few minutes and it's often challenging to due any long exposure! Visiting ALMA needs a special permission due to day & night science observations and also because of harsh environment and altitude issue. Every other year, on imaging assignment for the European Southern Observatory (ESO), I spend about a week on the mountain with several freezing but star-filled nights, dusk to dawn, where our team use oxygen capsule due to safety regulations and also because of our quick half-an-hour ascent from the control base at ~ 3000 meters.
Those of you familiar with the northern sky might notice the missing Polaris on the center of the startrails, as there is no bright polar star in the southern sky.
Follow @babaktafreshi for more of my night adventures around the globe.
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