Society member Paul Costa went to the Atacama Desert in May this year, and our WhatsApp group was treated to some jaw-dropping photos that he was kind enough to share. He’ll talk to us about his trip.

A bit of background : The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is often described as the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Some weather stations in its core region have gone years, and historically even decades, without recording measurable rainfall. The combination of dry air, high altitude, and clear skies makes it one of the best places on Earth for astronomy. Major facilities include ALMA Observatory and Paranal Observatory, home to some of the world’s most powerful telescopes. The Vera C Rubin observatory is located on the southern edge of the Atacama Desert region. Parts of the Atacama are so barren that they are used by space agencies to test instruments destined for Mars.

There will also be a presentation on the sky at night for the coming month. If you would like further details then please contact Anita King.