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Atacama Desert

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Threat to Atacama's Dark Skies as Light Pollution Spreads
science29 days ago

Threat to Atacama's Dark Skies as Light Pollution Spreads

The Atacama Desert, a premier astronomy hub hosting the ELT and major observatories, faces rising light pollution from mining, energy projects, and urban development. Scientists warn that even small increases in artificial light can degrade decades of data and hinder the search for Earth-like planets, spurring calls for stricter protections and regulatory updates after a near-miss green-energy project near Paranal highlighted governance gaps.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#astronomy#atacama-desert#dark-skies
Chile’s Atacama Desert: Dark Skies at Risk from Modern Development
science1 month ago

Chile’s Atacama Desert: Dark Skies at Risk from Modern Development

The Atacama Desert in Chile hosts some of the world’s most powerful astronomical facilities thanks to exceptionally dark skies, but growing urban expansion, mining, wind farms, and a canceled nearby green-energy project have spotlighted how light pollution and regulations threaten these observatories and their ability to study the universe—spurring calls for stricter sky-preservation rules to safeguard projects like the ELT and the search for Earth‑like planets.

via Yahoo|
#astronomy#atacama-desert#extremely-large-telescope
Nematodes thrive in the Atacama Desert, reshaping ideas about life in extreme dryness
science2 months ago

Nematodes thrive in the Atacama Desert, reshaping ideas about life in extreme dryness

A University of Cologne–led study published in Nature Communications finds a diverse nematode community in soils across six sites in the Atacama Desert, the world's driest non-polar desert, with 21 families and 36 genera; higher precipitation correlates with greater biodiversity, and asexual reproduction appears to aid survival in high-altitude areas, though some regions show simplified food webs, offering insights into life’s resilience in extreme aridity amid climate-change context.

via Yahoo|
#atacama-desert#climate-change#nature-communications
Hidden Nematodes: a thriving soil web discovered in the Atacama
science2 months ago

Hidden Nematodes: a thriving soil web discovered in the Atacama

A Nature Communications study finds diverse nematode communities in the Atacama Desert’s soils across six sites (dunes, altiplano, saline lakes, river valleys, fog oases), with 21 families and 36 genera. Genus richness correlates with moisture, elevation, and climate gradients, and reproduction modes shift with altitude (asexual at higher altitudes, sexual at lower). The work shows stable soil life even in hyper-arid cores and underscores implications for predicting soil resilience as global aridity increases and climate change progresses.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|
#arid-environments#atacama-desert#climate-resilience
Chile’s 80-meter dome gears up to house the Extremely Large Telescope
astronomy3 months ago

Chile’s 80-meter dome gears up to house the Extremely Large Telescope

Space agency ESO released imagery of the ELT’s enormous 80-meter outer dome at Cerro Armazones in Chile. The dome will shelter a 39-meter primary mirror, protect optics from desert heat, and feature earthquake-resilient shock absorbers; the upper section will rotate to give the telescope full access to dark skies. The project is slated for completion in 2027, with first light planned for early 2029 and initial science observations in 2030.

via Space|
#astronomy#atacama-desert#eso
Nematodes Survive and Adapt in the Atacama’s Ultra-Dry Soils
science4 months ago

Nematodes Survive and Adapt in the Atacama’s Ultra-Dry Soils

An international study across six Atacama sites finds diverse nematode communities persisting in ultra-dry soils; higher elevations favor parthenogenetic (asexually reproducing) species, while more water boosts biodiversity. The findings reveal resilient soil ecosystems in extreme deserts and warn that simplified food webs in some regions may be more vulnerable to climate change.

via SciTechDaily|
#atacama-desert#climate-change#nematodes