CTIO: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory


Data for the DES was taken with the 4-meter telescope mosaic camera. The July run was four nights long. The first night and a half were overcast. The wind blew East in the evenings; the air blew in from the sea and piled up against the mountains, condensing. You can see it in some of the photos.

During the remaining time we got good data. The excitement of the run was increased for me because my programs were working as intended.
This is the cafeteria at CTIO. You see part of the DES team: my advisor, Marc Buie, Julie, a graduate at MIT, and Jim Elliot, a professor at MIT. One of the best things about working nights at a large telescope, is that you get a sack lunch (with as much food in it as you'd like).


This is one of the best pictures I took in Chile. I am standing on the mountainside between the cafeteria and the 4m telescope. The view is to the West (and ever so slightly North.) The illuminated plane is the Pacific Ocean.


From the top of the mountain you could see the entire width of the country. The furthest ridge is the border.

Sunsets over the ocean.