Sunrise over the desert

As the night ends, telescopes close and astronomers and operators go to sleep, while engineers, technicians and other staff start a new day of work. This is part of the daily routine at ESO Paranal Observatory, home of the Very Large Telescope (VLT). In this picture, the Sun is rising over the desert, casting the shadow of Cerro Paranal across the Pacific Ocean, as usual covered by clouds. The cold ocean water keeps the thermal inversion layer of the atmosphere typically below 1500 metres of altitude, guaranteeing exceptional atmospheric conditions at the 2600-metre high VLT site.