Blast Off | Space Wallpaper

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ESO Cerra Amazones 1920
Part of the 3000-metre peak of Cerro Armazones was blasted away as a step towards levelling the summit in preparation for the construction of the largest optical/infrared telescope in the world. (Image credit: ESO)

This space wallpaper shows part of the 3000-metre peak of Cerro Armazones blasting away as a step towards levelling the summit in preparation for the construction of the largest optical/infrared telescope in the world. 5000 cubic metres of rock was removed, as seen in this photo from a distance of a few hundred metres. It was the first in a series of blastings aimed to remove a total of 220 000 cubic metres of rock for the 300 x 150 metres platform.

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