The massive new observatory being built in Chile's Atacama Desert
I loved this story on the BBC website about the new Alma observatory being constructed high above the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Basically it’s a series of large dishes which will apparently work together to effectively create one massive dish – equivalent to a dish some 15km wide.
“What Alma will do is zoom in on the interesting areas and make ultra-high-resolution images that show not just a blob where the galaxies or the molecules are, but resolves in very, very fine detail the structure of those objects, whether it’s the gas discs forming around stars or the collisions between galaxies at [great distance].”
This stuff always amazes me. The science behind the construction is mind-boggling let alone the science behind interpreting what the telescope will see.
“Alma will also go after events in the very early Universe, in particular the so-called “Epoch of Re-ionisation”.
The idea of a massive telescope zooming back through time and space to have a look at events which took place at the dawn of time is just bonkers to me.
Presumably it’s all to do with the lessening acceleration of expansion of the universe which allows us to catch up with some of the early matter?
Anyone know how this stuff actually works? Post your theses here!
Anyone want to go on holiday to Chile? Call us on 01273 676 712.
High in the Atacama Desert, standing on Toco
In the light of the recent global attention on the Atacama desert following the just magnificent rescue of the miners from the San José mine, I though we deserved a picture of the Atacama.
This photo of our client, David Jones, sums it up for me.
This is him standing up on top of Toco Volcano. This forms part of our Atacama Patagonia walking holiday. It’s really a fairly short walk since we drive you up and out of San Pedro to the trailhead near the top.
However, you are still gaining about 600m altitude and that’s starting at 5,000m. That’s right, this photo is taken at just over 5,600m which is very much equivalent to the altitude of Kilamanjaro. Of course South America, and Chile/Argentina in particular have rather a lot of very high mountains.
Toco is somewhat overshadowed by the next door Licancabur Volcano. But to climb Licancabur is a real expedition. To climb Toco is a walk, a lung-straining walk, but nothing more than a slow walk.
At the top, the reward is the view. The landscape all around is over 3,000m below your feet. That’s almost 2 miles of space underneath you. The views are incredible, particularly given the purity of the air in these parts.
You can see into Bolivia and Argentina. It is the sort of place you feel quite elated, partly because of the views and the sense of achievement, and partly because you know you will be out of the cold and back in San Pedro in time for a late lunch.
I just thought this photo sums up the beauty and joy of the Atacama Desert and mirrors the elation we saw when the miners came out into the fresh air after 69 days. Makes you appreciate the joy of being outdoors, which is really the whole point of our holidays.
Find out more about our walking holidays to Chile.
Peaceful lagoon in the Atacama salt flats
At Pura Aventura we try to do things a bit differently, that’s why we have our Pura Handmade range of holidays.
Chile’s Atacama Desert is a prime example.
The Atacama is a popular destination with a well-worn checklist of excursions. Whilst these are beautiful, we prefer to stay off the beaten track. We think that it’s better to be outside in the fresh air with a few people than travelling in a crowd.
Sunset in the desert
The usual way is to drive out of town to the rim of the Valley of the Moon, then walk just to the edge from where you watch the sun setting over the desert. On a busy day there can be over a hundred people sitting in a long line.
Our way is to drive out of town to the rim of a valley; walk down across a sand dune; over a short stretch of salt flat and into a narrow gorge in the salt mountains. As you follow the gorge, the air cools and the rocks crackle, with bats and owls flying overhead. Emerge into a natural amphitheatre hidden away in the middle of the hills, from where you watch the sunset.
The salt flats and lagoons
The usual way is to drive a dirt road to the large lagoons in the heart of the salt flats; have time to wander, take in the scenery and watch the large colony of flamingoes before returning by vehicle.
Our way is to ride bikes straight from your hotel to a series of small lagoons towards the northern edge of the salt flats, close to San Pedro where you have time to wander, swim and watch a smaller colony of flamingoes.
Special places
We also take you to places with nothing comparable on the usual tours. Walk down through the mountains from high oases to low villages following ancient Inca pathways. Most spectacular of all is the walk up to the heady heights of Toco volcano.
Tatio geysers
The one ‘checklist’ place we do take you to are the Tatio geysers. Whilst spectacular, you can expect really quite significant visitor numbers you can expect. This photo was taken in November which is not the busiest time of year.
Early morning crowds at the Tatio Geysers in Chile's Atacama Desert
We really think that our exploration of the Atacama desert is different and better than that offered by anyone else.
“The Atacama surpassed all our expectations, summiting Toco in glorious sunshine with snow on the ground was brilliant.”
Read more about our Atacama Patagonia walking holiday in Chile.