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Observatories

Astronomical Observatories

An inevitable consequence of searching for faraway worlds is to visit astronomical observatories around this planet. Their day and night skies, contrasting landscapes, and inhabitants remember us how awesome this world is.

Here I share some pictures that I have took during my observing trips to several astronomical observatories.

Night

This seven-shots panorama shows some of the telescopes at the Roque de Los Muchachos, in La Palma, Spain. My camera joins them for some seconds in their job capturing photons of those dark and beautiful skies. The orange line is a laser that the Isaac Newton Telescope uses to help with its observations. The picture also shows the shadows of the Nordic Optical Telescope, the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, the Gran Telescopio de Canarias, and some Cherenkov telescopes. A countless number of stars and a small fraction of the Milky Way decorate the upper part of the picture. This is one of my favourite pictures that I have ever taken.

Magalleanic Clouds

The Milky Way outside of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo

Astronomer and the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) on a full moon night.

Stereographic projection of a full Moon night in La Silla

Wee Planet projection of a night in La Silla

Panorama of La Silla telescopes with a full Moon

Orion

Sunset and Sunrise

Because of optical effects, this Cherenkov telescope at El Roque de los Muchachos inverts the image that reflects, putting the floor in the top and the sky in the bottom. Funnily enough, at El Roque the "floor" is created by a horizon full of clouds that are below the peak of the mountain. This reflection makes justice to the clouds and put them where they should be in this beatiful sunrise at the Roque.