Spinning Domes and the 'Spinning' Sky at Cerro Tololo

Once the sun sets in Chile, the Main Platform at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) begins buzzing with activity. The domes begin spinning, the telescopes inside them slewing to their next astronomical target. While the domes spin, the night sky above likewise 'spins,' an apparent motion caused by the rotation of the Earth about its axis. In this fulldome video, one cannot ignore the majesty of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Appearing as a fuzzy yet imposing band of white light with colossal clouds of dust, the Milky Way is a sight that mesmerizes.