Llano de Chajnantor Observatory

Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is the name for a group of astronomical observatories located at an altitude of over 4,800 m in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is in the Antofagasta Region approximately 50 kilometres east of the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The exceptionally arid climate of the area is inhospitable to humans, but creates an excellent location for millimeter, submillimeter, and mid-infrared astronomy. This is because water vapour absorbs and attenuates submillimetre radiation. Llano de Chajnantor is home to the largest and most expensive astronomical telescope project in the world, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. Llano de Chajnantor and the surrounding area has been designated as the Chajnantor Science Reserve by the government of Chile.