“The Atacama desert woke up snowed! A phenomenon that had not been seen for 10 years“, wrote on X the center, in reference to its site located some 2900 meters above sea level where the snow fell. The observatory, however, recalled in a press release that the snowy episodes are regular”on the Chajantor plain“, Located above, more than 5,000 meters above sea level and about twenty kilometers from its site affected by snowfall, where it also has installations.
Snowfall like these are infrequent, but it is still early to affirm that they are an effect of climate change, the climatologist Raul Cordero told AFP. However, “Climate models suggest that this type of event, that is to say precipitation in the Atacama desert, should increase over time“He added.
Chile welcomes in the Atacama desert, the driest and arid on the planet, telescopes of more than 30 countries, including some of the most advanced astronomical instruments in the world, including the Alma observatory, the most powerful radio design on the planet.
