Cerro Pachón: At the Frontier of Discovery

Tucked away in the high Chilean Andes, Cerro Pachón rises to an altitude of 2,715 meters above sea level. This remote, wind-swept mountain is one of the world’s most important astronomical sites, a place where cutting-edge science meets extreme natural beauty. Nestled in Chile’s Coquimbo Region, it offers remarkably stable atmospheric conditions, dry air, and crystal-clear skies, making it ideal for observing the universe in unprecedented detail.

As part of an official NOIRLab photo and video expedition, I had the privilege of visiting Cerro Pachón in my role as audiovisual ambassador for NOIRLab. The goal was to capture both daytime and nighttime visuals of the observatories for planetarium and giant screen formats, where visual precision and scale are essential. The experience was both technically demanding and deeply inspiring, an opportunity to witness the future of astronomy taking shape before my eyes.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory

At the heart of Cerro Pachón’s transformation is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, one of the most ambitious ground-based astronomy projects ever undertaken. The Rubin Observatory is designed to revolutionize our view of the dynamic universe. It will carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year program that will image the entire visible southern sky every few nights.

The observatory’s 8.4-meter telescope, equipped with the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy, a 3.2-gigapixel sensor will generate an unprecedented flood of data! From mapping dark matter and dark energy to detecting near-Earth asteroids and transient events like supernovae, the Rubin Observatory will enable discoveries we can hardly anticipate. Standing next to this technological marvel as it nears completion was a powerful reminder of how far our curiosity can take us.

Gemini South: A Window to the Southern Sky

Sharing the summit is Gemini South, one of two twin 8.1-meter telescopes that make up the Gemini Observatory (the other being Gemini North, located in Hawai‘i). Unlike Rubin, which will scan vast swaths of sky, Gemini South specializes in deep, targeted observations using advanced instrumentation and adaptive optics systems. It enables astronomers to study distant galaxies, star formation, exoplanets, and more with extraordinary clarity.

Filming both observatories during the same expedition offered a unique contrast: one represents the future of survey astronomy, the other a high-precision workhorse already making discoveries today. Together, they form a complementary system, one that exemplifies the scientific richness of Cerro Pachón.

Beauty and Challenge in the Atacama Desert

But working here is not easy. Cerro Pachón lies on the edge of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on Earth. The extreme aridity that makes it perfect for astronomy also makes it physically punishing. The air is thin, the sun is intense, and the environment is relentlessly dry.

Despite the harsh conditions, the rewards are immense. The sunsets are vivid, the night skies stunningly crisp. Standing between these two world-class observatories, watching the stars emerge one by one, I was reminded why we endure these extremes, to bring back images and stories that connect people to the cosmos.

Looking Ahead

This expedition was part of an ongoing effort to document some of the world’s most important observatories and bring their stories to global audiences. I’m honored to contribute to NOIRLab’s visual archive and to help showcase the groundbreaking science happening on Cerro Pachón, where the future of astronomy is being built, one frame at a time.