Scientists have complained that the world's largest and most advanced telescope has been affected due to light pollution. Observing the night sky from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the South American country of Chile has been disrupted, say astronomers.
The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope at Mount Paranal in Chile is considered to be the world's most advanced instrument for space observation. American company AES Energy is going to start the 'INNA Hydrogen Production Project' near the place where this telescope is located. Scientists believe that this will affect the observation ability of the telescope as it pollutes the light. They pointed out that there is a risk of blurring the view from the telescope as more light is generated in the renewable energy project.
Mount Paranal in the Atacama Desert of Chile is located at an altitude of 2,664 meters. It is considered to be one of the darkest places on Earth, which is perfect for astronomical research. According to Space.com, this telescope cost $350 million to build in 1990. At today's prices, this amount is 840 million dollars. Through this, the wonderful objects of the universe can be observed . There are several 27-foot-wide (8.2 m) telescopes that work in an integrated system.
If the American INNA project is accepted, the light of the sky will increase by 10 percent, said Xavier Barcons, General Manager of the European Southern Observatory. "This is enough to make the world's best space observatory an average observatory," he complained, "the ability to observe distant constellations will be reduced by 30 percent." However, if the sky becomes brighter, those details will not be visible .
The American INNA project spread over a total area of 3 thousand 21 hectares is about to be built at a cost of 10 billion US dollars. It will have three solar farms for hydrogen production, three wind farms, a battery energy storage system and other structures. The Southern Observatory estimates that the project will generate as much light as a city with a population of 20,000.
The American company AES Energy claims that hydrogen is an important fuel for the future as green energy. It is claimed on the company's website that it will help reach zero carbon emissions.
