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Steve Elkins

  1. Photography

Northern Chile

October - November 2011
35mm film
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  • Atacama Desert, Chile

    Atacama Desert, Chile

  • Caspana, Chile

    Caspana, Chile

  • Untitled photo
  • Very Large Telescope. Cerro Paranal, Chile.

    Very Large Telescope. Cerro Paranal, Chile.

  • Becky. El Tatio, Chile.

    Becky. El Tatio, Chile.

  • Astronomer's residencia. Cerro Paranal, Chile.

    Astronomer's residencia. Cerro Paranal, Chile.

  • ALMA, one of the shooting locations for my next film, a global collaboration to make the oldest parts of the cosmos visible for the first time. At 17,000 ft, this is the highest observatory in the world and the largest astronomy project in human history.

    ALMA, one of the shooting locations for my next film, a global collaboration to make the oldest parts of the cosmos visible for the first time. At 17,000 ft, this is the highest observatory in the world and the largest astronomy project in human history.

  • Lasana, Chile

    Lasana, Chile

  • Chincorro Mummy. Atacama Desert, Chile.

    Chincorro Mummy. Atacama Desert, Chile.

  • Chiu Chiu, Chile

    Chiu Chiu, Chile

  • San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

    San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

  • Valle de la Luna, Chile

    Valle de la Luna, Chile

  • Very Large Telescope, Cerro Paranal. Photo by Yuri Beletsky.

A group of astronomers were observing the centre of the Milky Way using the laser guide star facility at Yepun, one of the four Unit Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). Yepun’s laser beam crosses the majestic southern sky and creates an artificial star at an altitude of 90 km high in the Earth's mesosphere. The Laser Guide Star (LGS) is part of the VLT’s adaptive optics system and is used as a reference to correct the blurring effect of the atmosphere on images.

The colour of the laser is precisely tuned to energise a layer of sodium atoms found in one of the upper layers of the atmosphere — one can recognise the familiar colour of sodium street lamps in the colour of the laser. This layer of sodium atoms is thought to be a leftover from meteorites entering the Earth’s atmosphere. When excited by the light from the laser, the atoms start glowing, forming a small bright spot that can be used as an artificial reference star for the adaptive optics. Using this technique, astronomers can obtain sharper observations. For example, when looking towards the centre of our Milky Way, researchers can better monitor the galactic core, where a central supermassive black hole, surrounded by closely orbiting stars, is swallowing gas and dust.

    Very Large Telescope, Cerro Paranal. Photo by Yuri Beletsky. A group of astronomers were observing the centre of the Milky Way using the laser guide star facility at Yepun, one of the four Unit Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). Yepun’s laser beam crosses the majestic southern sky and creates an artificial star at an altitude of 90 km high in the Earth's mesosphere. The Laser Guide Star (LGS) is part of the VLT’s adaptive optics system and is used as a reference to correct the blurring effect of the atmosphere on images. The colour of the laser is precisely tuned to energise a layer of sodium atoms found in one of the upper layers of the atmosphere — one can recognise the familiar colour of sodium street lamps in the colour of the laser. This layer of sodium atoms is thought to be a leftover from meteorites entering the Earth’s atmosphere. When excited by the light from the laser, the atoms start glowing, forming a small bright spot that can be used as an artificial reference star for the adaptive optics. Using this technique, astronomers can obtain sharper observations. For example, when looking towards the centre of our Milky Way, researchers can better monitor the galactic core, where a central supermassive black hole, surrounded by closely orbiting stars, is swallowing gas and dust.

  • Chincorro Mummy. Atacama Desert, Chile.

    Chincorro Mummy. Atacama Desert, Chile.

  • Spent two days ascending 17,000 ft in the Chilean desert (on the border of Bolivia) to the second highest building in the world, which houses the world's most powerful supercomputer, recently built to make the oldest parts of the cosmos visible for the first time. This is the driest place on the entire planet...the lack of water vapor in the air allows the milky way to be so visible it can cast your shadow. I was grateful for the oxygen mask.

Chajnantor, Chile. November 2011. Photo by Stephane Guisard.

    Spent two days ascending 17,000 ft in the Chilean desert (on the border of Bolivia) to the second highest building in the world, which houses the world's most powerful supercomputer, recently built to make the oldest parts of the cosmos visible for the first time. This is the driest place on the entire planet...the lack of water vapor in the air allows the milky way to be so visible it can cast your shadow. I was grateful for the oxygen mask. Chajnantor, Chile. November 2011. Photo by Stephane Guisard.

  • Salt mountains. Atacama desert, Chile.

    Salt mountains. Atacama desert, Chile.

  • Salt.

    Salt.

  • Cerro Paranal, Chile

    Cerro Paranal, Chile

  • This room was built into the astronomer's residencia at Cerro Paranal so that they have "natural" air humidity to breathe. It felt mildly tropical inside...just outside is the world's driest desert. Nothing lives there...aside from the astronomers and people mining most of the world's copper a few hours away in the largest open pits on the planet.

    This room was built into the astronomer's residencia at Cerro Paranal so that they have "natural" air humidity to breathe. It felt mildly tropical inside...just outside is the world's driest desert. Nothing lives there...aside from the astronomers and people mining most of the world's copper a few hours away in the largest open pits on the planet.

  • Santiago, Chile

    Santiago, Chile

  • Pablo Neruda's neighborhood. Bella Vista, Chile.

"I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz,
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire...

I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself...

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where
I love you directly without problems or pride:
I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love

except in this form in which I am not nor are you,
so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,
so close that your eyes close with my dreams."

-Pablo Neruda

    Pablo Neruda's neighborhood. Bella Vista, Chile. "I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz, or arrow of carnations that propagate fire... I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself... I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where I love you directly without problems or pride: I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love except in this form in which I am not nor are you, so close that your hand upon my chest is mine, so close that your eyes close with my dreams." -Pablo Neruda

  • Becky. Santiago, Chile.

    Becky. Santiago, Chile.

  • Santiago, Chile

    Santiago, Chile

  • Santiago, Chile

    Santiago, Chile

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    This room was built into the astronomer's residencia at Cerro Paranal so that they have "natural" air humidity to breathe. It felt mildly tropical inside...just outside is the world's driest desert. Nothing lives there...aside from the astronomers and people mining most of the world's copper a few hours away in the largest open pits on the planet.
    Santiago, Chile
    Pablo Neruda's neighborhood. Bella Vista, Chile.

"I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz,
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire...

I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself...

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where
I love you directly without problems or pride:
I love you like this because I don't know any other way to love

except in this form in which I am not nor are you,
so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,
so close that your eyes close with my dreams."

-Pablo Neruda