Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Where to put a telescope?

How to choose where to place a telescope? Don't think about it, it's not an easy matter. In fact, the location will depend on the type of telescope. But in general, one could say that telescopes are placed as close to the sky as possible, that is, at high altitude. Visible, infrared and millimetre telescopes, at least. The disturbance of atmospheric gases is made to be as small as possible. Places with a clear sky, dry and away from other sources of light are chosen.

Logistics must also be taken into account. To build an observatory, it is necessary to carry telescopes to the site and, inevitably, a road is required for this. Therefore, astronomers must also take into account the orography of the area in order to decide where to place the telescope.

Where are the telescopes? Well, many in volcanoes such as Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma Island (at 2,500 meters) or Mauna Kea in Hawaii (at 4,200 meters). There is more than one observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile, such as Cerro Pachón, where the ALMA observatory is also being built, at 5,000 meters.

If we want the atmosphere not to interfere, it is best to place the telescope outside the atmosphere, that is, in space. But, of course, there is another feature to keep in mind, and no less: money! If not, ask them how much they've spent on NASA with Hubble.