Light pollution threatens capabilities of Chile’s giant telescopes

Astronomers are sounding the alarm about the impact of a planned renewable energy plant in Chile’s Atacama desert. The area is home to some of the most-advanced observatories on Earth because of the unmatched darkness of the night sky. The concern is that light pollution from the proposed plant will compromise the research capacity of those telescopes. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Luis Chavarria, a Chilean astronomer and former representative to the European Southern Observatory. That’s the multi-nation group that operates the telescope most likely to be compromised.