Meteor above La Silla Observatory

A colourful meteor photographed above La Silla telescope domes and inversion layer in the southern outskirts of the Atacama desert, Chile. The close-up view of the meteor shows a stumbling path which is the actual aerodynamic flight path of the meteoroid, due to the shape of the object as it spins and spirals through the atmosphere. This European Southern Observatory's (ESO) site has telescopes which observe at optical and infrared. The largest optical telescope has a mirror with a diameter of 3.6 metres. The high altitude of La Silla (2400 metres), the dark sky, and the clear air above it (reducing atmospheric distortions of incoming light), make the site an ideal location for astronomical observations.