Timelapse of the night sky over the Atacama Desert, Chile. The cluster of stars at centre top at the start is the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own galaxy the Milky Way. The bright star to its left is Canopus. Near the end the Carina Nebula rises over the horizon. The Atacam Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Due to the dry air, lack of light pollution and high altitude, which result in very clear night skies, the desert is home to some of the world's leading telescopes.