I have been over here on work for the last week and will be back in Aus by the end of next week, but thought I would post some pics of the beautiful scenery and bright blue skies over here. Unfortunately I haven´t been able to do much site seeing, but every corner you turn up here there is a photo opportunity. I am staying on site at the Alumbrera copper mine and unfortunatley being a 24hr opperation I haven´t escaped the artifical light of the mine to check the dark skies out yet.
The last photo is a strange beetle - bug which I haven´t identified as yet ... wish I had of brought my macro lens!
NEW PHOTOS FURTHER DOWN !!
Last edited by astro_south; 18-01-2009 at 09:47 PM.
Reason: Added more photos below
Wow – it looks a very dry and dusty place. Those skies and landscapes look stunning. I would expect the mountain ranges with snow capped peaks must be around the 2500m-3000m mark to have that much snow on them?
Thanks for the great shots! Your altitude there at the mine at 2500m is
very similar to the observatory at Paranal at 2600m. However, whereas
the Atacama desert is one of the driest places on Earth, your location further
East will be considerably moister and the clouds in some of your pictures
are testimony to that. Nevertheless, if you can get an opportunity to get
away from the light pollution of the mine during a dry spell, the observing
locale could undoubtedly be among the best on the planet.
If you get the opportunity, we'd love to hear the description!
Thanks for the comments all. It is going to be hard to get a chance Gary, but if I do, and if I can find the words to describe it I will
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Top shots Andrew, thanks for posting.
What altitude is the mine at?
As Gary has indicated, the mine site is at 2500masl. The ¨snow¨covered peaks (been describe to me more like hail - balls of ice) are at around 4500 to 5300masl.
Coords of the mine for all the Google Earth junkies is 27-19-50S, 66-36-30W. The photos of the snow cap mountains and the plain with a range in the background were taken from about 30kms NNE of the mine where the mine´s water suppy is source from. The snow-capped mountains are to the east.
Quote:
Originally Posted by renormalised
Nice piccies
Au-Cu mine??. Is it your typical subvolcanic massive vein hosted type of deposit??
Yes Norm - ¨alteration and mineralisation of a porphyry and is volcanic host rocks¨ as the rock lickers have described it ... I´m here for the groundwater issues.
Yes Norm - ¨alteration and mineralisation of a porphyry and is volcanic host rocks¨ as the rock lickers have described it ... I´m here for the groundwater issues.
I am one of those "rock lickers" as you described them
Wow!! Desolately stunning Andrew!! What a beautiful place.
As for your bug, it looks related to ants and wasps; order hymenoptera
Thanks Paul - yeah it definitely has the head like an ant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenc
You have a tough job Andrew. Happy travels.
Not as tough as yours Glen
Quote:
Originally Posted by astroron
Great Pics Andrew I hope you manage to have a look at a dark South American Sky
Happy Travels, and safe return to Auss
Thanks Ron, will be up to Cambroon in the coming months (not this month though after having just come home .... although I will have the body clock for an allnighter )
Anyway, a couple of pics from yesterday. I was using a CPL filter for some of these, then the others where taken with the 10-22mm lens ... still get those dark blue skies.
... I´m here for the groundwater issues.
![[1ponders]'s Avatar](../vbiis/customavatars/avatar45_9.gif){kind=avatar}
)
Wonderful Pic's Andrew
