Paranal Observatory
(ESO Atacama observatory with ESO VLT)
Paranal Observatory is an ESO observatory-site
(part of La Silla Paranal Observatory)
on Cerro Paranal (2635 m altitude) on the Atacama Desert.
Among the telescopes:
Plans are to operate the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) from Paranal Observatory
which is under construction on another peak 20 km distant.
In 2025, a project to develop an industrial site in the region
threatened to create light pollution that would affect Paranal
Observatory. In February 2026, cancellation of the project was
announced after astronomers pointed out the issue.
(observatory,Chile)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranal_Observatory
https://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal.html
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100305625
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/
https://atacamaphoto.com/galleries/paranal-observatory/
https://airmass.org/observatories/paranal
https://earthsky.org/human-world/dark-skies-paranal-observatory-threatened-industrial-complex/
https://news.azpm.org/p/news-npr/2026/4/27/229470-the-threat-of-light-pollution-puts-the-worlds-darkest-skies-in-the-atacama-desert-at-risk/
Referenced by pages:
Atacama Desert
Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)
European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT)
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope (ESO VLT)
La Silla Paranal Observatory (LPO)
NGTS
SPECULOOS
VISTA
VLT Survey Telescope (VST)
Index