At the edge of the world, on top of the world, is a window from our world into the rest of the universe: the telescopes of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. Nearby are other observatories at Cerro Tololo, Las Campanas and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (Alma) at Chajnantor. These telescopes have shown how the expansion of our universe is accelerating; they’ve explored hundreds of planets around other stars; they’ve traced the motions of stars orbiting a super-massive black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. I am visiting with a half-dozen patrons who support such telescopes. Along with our host, Dr Fernando Comerón, our group includes a businessman who sits on the boards of universities; a retired schoolteacher; a Nasa engineer …
23 April 2015, The Tablet
Together we see further
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