Alone in the Universe?

The southern Milky Way above the lifeless landscape of Atacama desert. The bright planet Jupiter is rising from the left side of the image while the two Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are just above horizon at the right side. The photographer who is posing in the desert for this space odyssey view is wondering if we are alone in the universe as he was at this night under the boundless sky. The Atacama Desert is a narrow strip of desert along the northwest coast of Chile, extends nearly 1600 km. Atacama is one of the driest places on Earth. In many areas rainfall has never been recorded. Consequently, an extremely arid, almost barren, landscape predominates. Because of its high altitude, nearly non-existent cloud cover, and lack of light pollution, Atacama desert is one of the best places in the world to observe the night sky.