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The darkestnight in Chile
On the salt flat there is no light for 90 km. Camila explains what you can see with a naked eye — and what the telescope adds.
Jul 2026 · 6 min read · by the SUNDRIFT crew
The Atacama has more than 300 clear nights a year and almost no water vapour in the air. That is why half of the world’s big telescopes live here.
“From our salar camp the Milky Way throws a shadow.”
From our salar camp the Milky Way throws a shadow. You can see both Magellanic Clouds, two whole galaxies, without any help.
Then the telescope comes out: Saturn’s rings, the Jewel Box cluster and, if the guests are patient, the Tarantula Nebula.
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