On June 25 2025, snow fell on the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth. The sudden storm swept by the excessive plains (the Altiplano and Chajnantor Plateau), blanketing terrain usually devoid of moisture.
What’s it?
The Atacama Desert is located in an space that makes it almost unimaginable to obtain storms prefer it not too long ago did. That is because of the Chilean Andes mountain vary, which creates a rain shadow over the world.
Nevertheless, generally a cold-based cyclone penetrates the world, bringing precipitation as both snow or rain. Within the case of the June 2025 snowfall, meteorologists stated it was the primary snow within the area for over a decade.
The place is it?
The Atacama Desert is discovered between the Andes Mountains and the coasts of Chile and Peru to the west.
Why is it wonderful?
This picture was taken by the MODIS (Reasonable Decision Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite tv for pc from low Earth orbit. It exhibits how the snow blanketed the Chilean panorama.
Whereas telescopes within the higher mountains just like the Southern Astrophysical Analysis (SOAR) Telescope obtained minimal snow, others decrease down just like the Atacama Massive Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) obtained extra, forcing it into “survival mode” and briefly suspending all scientific analysis.
Wish to study extra?
You possibly can learn extra about telescopes in Chile together with the research happening at ALMA.