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VLT Captures Milky Way Amid Threats to Dark Skies

11/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile's Atacama Desert captured an image of the Milky Way with faint airglow.
Airglow is caused by chemical reactions in Earth's upper atmosphere.
The VLT benefits from dark skies thanks to minimal light pollution.
Urban expansion and satellite constellations threaten dark skies and could hinder the VLT's ability to conduct research.

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Story summary

The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile's Atacama Desert captured an image of the Milky Way with faint airglow.
Airglow is caused by chemical reactions in Earth's upper atmosphere.
The VLT benefits from dark skies thanks to minimal light pollution.
Urban expansion and satellite constellations threaten dark skies and could hinder the VLT's ability to conduct research.