La Serena, Chile

At 8:00 AM we docked at Coquimbo, Chile, the port city of the greater La Serena region.  Founded in 1544, it is the country's second oldest city after the national capital, Santiago.  As of 2012, it had a communal population of roughly 200,000 and is one of the fastest-growing regions of Chile.

Greeting us on the hill top was Crus del Tercer Milenio (the third millennium cross).  Constructed between 1999 and 2001, it stands 278 feet tall and is the tallest monument in South America.  (The famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro is only 98 feet tall.)

Jan, still recovering from her fall, remained on the ship while Gene traveled to the Elqui Valley and visited the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.  Getting there, the tour bus struggled up an unpaved, single-lane trail before finally reaching the 7,200 foot summit of Cerro Tolodo.

The bus bounced, leaned and groaned as it labored up the high mountain trail. The arid landscape, rugged mountain peaks and deep valleys offered spectacular scenery! 

Rounding one last bend, Cerro Tololo Observatory came into view.  It is considered one of the best astronomical observation points in the world with its dry weather providing 300 nights of observation a year.

The Observatory has telescopes, specialized instruments and other facilities for the most advanced astronomical research possible from the earth's surface. The instruments and facilities of the Observatory are operated and shared by astronomers in both hemispheres. 

Each year more than 100 visiting scientists and students from 50 or more institutions travel to Cerro Tololo to conduct research programs.  During their time here, they stay at a small hotel located on the complex.

The facility has two major telescopes. This dome houses the SOAR 1.5 meter (59") reflecting instrument.  Construction began in 1963 with its first scientific observation made in 1965.

Inside the dome, the instrument dwarfs people standing next to it.

The largest instrument has a 4.0 meter (158") reflecting mirror and is housed in this large dome.  Note the relative size of the pickup truck to the left of the structure.

The dome's interior temperature is maintained at the same temperature as the outside air at viewing time, typically about 40°F.  This is necessary to prevent expansion or contraction of its giant mirror when the dome's roof is opened.  Even minor changes in the mirror's temperature causes major distortions in observations of objects millions of light-years away.  Photos of the night sky are made using a 540-megapixel camera,  soon to be replace with a 3,000-megapixel instrument.  (My Canon only has 24 megapixels.)

Nautical Term of the Day - Go For the Pig and Whistle

The term was used in the early sailing days of the English Navy.  Once a week, the sailors were allowed a ration of rum (known as the "pig").  A young subordinate sailor would be sent down to the cargo hold to get the rum and told to "get the pig and whistle."  If he stopped whistling while out of sight, he was believed to be drinking the rum and was lashed.