Four Lasers, Four Layers of the Cosmos | ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile

Four Lasers, Four Layers of The Cosmos | ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile

The four lasers of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) pierce the heart of the Milky Way in this picture. The starry night is interrupted by the vertical glow of the zodiacal light, caused by dust grains in the Solar System, so faint that it is only visible in the darkest skies, such as those of Chile’s Atacama Desert. The pristine night sky in this region has always been intertwined with the culture and traditions of its indigenous people.

The Chakana is a recurrent symbol within Andean cultures. Shaped like a square stepped cross, it represents four stairs or bridges to the upper levels of the Andean cosmovision. 

For the Mapuche people in south-central Chile, the sky is the Wenu mapu, a land of goodness and order inhabited by deities, ancestors and benign spirits. The Wenu mapu is ordered into four layers where holy beings like the four gods of the stars (Meli wanlén) and the four gods of the Moon (Meli Kiyén) oppose the forces of evil below. These opposite forces then clash on Earth, a natural world divided into four cardinal directions, each linked to different levels of goodness and evil. 

The names and details of this vision of the Cosmos may change across Andean traditions, but one thing remains constant: a belief that four is more than just a number. Four represents a measure of perfection, as only two opposite things can bring balance. The four lasers of ESO’s VLT are currently sharpening our view of the Cosmos, but, in a sense, they also continue this ancient pattern, giving us a small connection to the beliefs of the Mapuche community.

Credit: F. Millour/ESO
Release Date: March 17, 2025

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