Astronomers Warn Chile’s Inna Project Threatens World-Class Observatories

The European Southern Observatory urges adjustments to the green energy facility to protect critical astronomical research in the Atacama Desert.

The planned Inna industrial facility near the Paranal Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert could increase light pollution by 35% over the Very Large Telescope and over 50% at the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory.
Air turbulence and vibrations from the facility are expected to impair the functionality of major telescopes, including the under-construction Extremely Large Telescope.
The Inna project aims to produce green hydrogen and ammonia, with at least 1,000 light sources planned for installation, raising concerns about its environmental impact on dark skies.
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) highlights the risks to detecting Earth-like exoplanets, observing faint galaxies, and monitoring potentially hazardous asteroids.
ESO officials advocate for sufficient distance between industrial facilities and observatories, emphasizing that green energy development and astronomical research can coexist with proper planning.