After breakfast we’ll transfer to Santiago Airport for our flight to Antofagasta and a drive through the Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas on Earth, to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Paranal Observatory. Located south of Antofagasta and inland from the Pacific Coast, Cerro Paranal stands at 2,635 meters (8,775 feet) high. Boasting 350 clear nights per year, the mountain was chosen as the site for ESO’s Very Large Telescope, a foursome of 8.2-meter (27-foot) giants, because of its remoteness from the dust and lights of civilization and its excellent atmospheric conditions. During our visit we’ll learn how astronomers plan to link the VLT’s four reflectors together to act as a single telescope with the light-gathering power of a 16-meter-wide mirror and the resolving power of a telescope 130 meters (425 feet) across!. Arriving back in Antofagasta near sunset, join us for dinner and a southern sky lecture at the hotel.

Day 3 Monday, May 29                                                                              B/L/D
Calama - San Pedro de Atacama

After breakfast we’ll drive three hours through the desert to Calama. At an elevation of 2,408 meters (7,900 feet), Calama is the gateway to the geological and archaeological wonders of Chile’s high central desert. After lunch, we’ll travel to the remote village of San Pedro de Atacama, our home for the next 4 nights. San Pedro is known for its relaxed atmosphere, and picturesque streets lined with colorful adobe buildings housing shops, restaurants, and cantinas. With only 9,000 inhabitants and hardly any nighttime lighting, San Pedro is the ideal base for stargazing and for exploring the Atacama Desert. After dinner you’ll be able to enjoy your first night of dark, desert stargazing right outside your room!