SANTIAGO — Chilean telescopes that comb the skies seeking answers about some of the universe´s most fundamental questions have confirmed they, too, have fallen victim to the mass disruption brought about by the new coronavirus. Observatories dotted above the coastal city of La Serena and in the Latin nation´s dry northern deserts have closed for the first time since some opened several decades ago, citing the risk of potential contagion among international visitors and scientific staff. Research teams who often work in shifts traveling to the observatories from their homes in nearby cities and the capital Santiago were also hampered by flights cancellations and quarantines and curfews around the country. The closures imply potential delays in significant research by international teams using material generated by the telescopes, their managers told Reuters.

Source: International New York Times April 02, 2020 20:48 UTC