Cerro Paranal, Chile
The Atacama summit of the Very Large Telescope, flattened on top to make room for it.
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Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- Chile
- Position
- -24.6275, -70.4042
- Area
- 10 × 10 km
- Real elevation
- 1,740 to 2,642 m (902 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:66,700
- Heights
- 1.5× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- Open satellite data (SRTM and others), about 30 m per point
- Suggested color
- Desert
- Group
- Mountains
About Cerro Paranal, Chile
Paranal Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). It is located in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile on Cerro Paranal at 2,635 m (8,645 ft) altitude, 120 km (70 mi) south of Antofagasta. By total light-collecting area, it is the largest optical-infrared observatory in the Southern Hemisphere; worldwide, it is second to the Mauna Kea Observatory on Hawaii. The Very Large Telescope (VLT), the largest telescope on Paranal, is composed of four separate 8.2 m (320 in) telescopes. In addition, the four main telescopes can be used simultaneously for extra light gathering capacity, and for interferometry. Four auxiliary telescopes of 1.8 m (71 in) each are also part of the VLTI to make it available when the main telescopes are being used for other projects.
From Wikipedia: Paranal Observatory, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Cerro Paranal, Chile
Where is Cerro Paranal?
Cerro Paranal is in Chile at -24.6275, -70.4042. The model covers a 10 by 10 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Cerro Paranal model?
The land in this model runs from 1,740 to 2,642 m (902 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 1.5 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Cerro Paranal?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 25.3 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:66,700. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Cerro Paranal model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Cerro Paranal model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Cerro Paranal terrain model good for?
People use it as a memento of a climb, a gift for a mountaineer or a ski-trip souvenir.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Cerro Paranal, Chile from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. Outside the United States the heights come from open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point.
The model covers a 10 by 10 kilometer square centered on -24.6275, -70.4042. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:66,700. The heights are exaggerated 1.5× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
