Observatory In A Desert Transforms Into Snow-Covered Cloud City

2015-03-11 21

La Silla Observatory, located near the Chilean Atacama Desert--considered the driest place on Earth--can sometimes be seen blanketed in snow which remains intact despite above-freezing temperatures because of the extremely low atmospheric humidity.

A part of the European Southern Observatory organization, La Silla Observatory is well-situated for viewing celestial bodies, as it rises more than 7,800 feet above Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Despite the unrelenting dessert conditions, the facilities are sometimes blanketed with snow and surrounded by clouds, giving it the appearance of a science-fiction outpost. 

However, the wintry precipitation doesn’t result from moisture encountering freezing temperatures, as the air rarely gets colder than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Instead, the extremely dry air actually helps snow to exist at higher temperatures. 

Though the observatory itself experiences occasional precipitation, the Atacama Desert is cons