On Jan. 21, at 12:22 a.m. local time, in the silence and darkness of Chile’s Patagonia region, a camera trap used to monitor wildlife for a project run by the University of Magallanes (UMAG) captured, in 2 seconds, three photographs showing intense lights moving downward. Everyone was baffled. “On a camera located at the edge of a meadow, quite far …
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The Milky Way and zodiacal light crisscross above the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. (Image credit: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava)) QUICK FACTS What it is: The luminous band of the Milky Way and the faint glow of zodiacal light Where it is: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile When it was shared: Aug. 6, 2025 This stunning …
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Recently, the Chilean night sky was illuminated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy as it was seen above the domes of telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a facility of the National Science Foundation‘s (NSF) NOIRLab. What is it? A cone of zodiacal light intersects the iconic Milky Way, creating an x-shape in the night sky. …
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A recent unexpected frost graced high-altitude peaks in Chile, dusting the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope with a delicate layer of snow. What is it? The 13.4 foot (4.1 meter) telescope has been a major hub for researchers in the Southern Hemisphere using optical and near-infrared astronomy to study the stars. According to NOIRLab, the telescope was initiated in 1987 …
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