This has led to numerous groundbreaking advancements in astronomy

Nov 6, 2013 15:01 GMT  ·  By
November 6, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the first agreement between Chile and ESO, to build massive telescopes in the Atacama desert
   November 6, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the first agreement between Chile and ESO, to build massive telescopes in the Atacama desert

Today, November 6, marks the 50th anniversary of the relationship between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and Chile. This connection, first sealed in 1963, has since led to the development of some of the most impressive observatories in the world, as well as to numerous groundbreaking studies that have reshaped the foundation of modern astronomy. 

Chile has something that most countries do not, and that is a very clear sky. It is home to the majority of the world's driest desert, the Atacama. This makes the Andes Mountains the perfect location for building optical space telescopes, which are usually hampered by moisture in the atmosphere.

The first document signed between ESO and Chile, called the Convenio, stipulated how, where and when the organization could build telescopes and observatories on Chilean soil. Shortly after the Convenio was signed, La Silla Observatory was inaugurated, in 1966.

The Paranal Observatory was opened on March 5, 1999, and has since become home to one of the world's most renowned optical interferometry instruments, the Very Large Telescope. Plans are already underway for adding even more ESO telescopes across the ridges of the Chilean Andes.