The lasers our Very Large Telescope (VLT) pierce the Milky Way… but what is that vertical glow just below? 🤔

That’s the zodiacal light: caused by dust grains in the Solar System, it's so faint that it’s only visible in the darkest skies, such as those of Chile’s Atacama Desert.

And the pristine night sky 🌌 in this region has always been intertwined with the culture and traditions of its indigenous people, discover how: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2511a/

📷 F. Millour/ESO

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science