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Atacama Desert Sees Rare Snowfall, Halting Telescope Operations

7/25/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On June 25, 2025, the Atacama Desert in Chile was blanketed in snow for the first time in over ten years, thanks to a rare cold cyclone. This unexpected snowfall halted operations at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope. NASA's Terra satellite documented this stunning transformation, showcasing the desert's extraordinary weather shift.

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Story summary

On June 25, 2025, the Atacama Desert in Chile was blanketed in snow for the first time in over ten years, thanks to a rare cold cyclone. This unexpected snowfall halted operations at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope. NASA's Terra satellite documented this stunning transformation, showcasing the desert's extraordinary weather shift.