Roque de los Muchachos, Mountain summit in La Palma, Spain.
Roque de los Muchachos is the highest peak on the island of La Palma and sits at 2,426 meters (7,959 feet) above sea level. The landscape shows steep cliffs of volcanic rock and looks directly into the enormous basin of the national park below.
The observatory began operations in 1985 and uses the exceptional clarity of the air above the peak for sky observation. The road to the summit was built to transport and install the astronomical equipment.
The name refers to a legend about boys from ancient times who are said to have turned into rocks. Today researchers from many countries work at the observatory and the facility sits above most of the island's clouds.
The access road closes at night so the telescopes can operate without light interference. During the day the parking area is reachable and temperatures often drop below freezing, even in summer.
On clear days you can see three other Canary Islands from the summit: Tenerife, El Hierro and La Gomera rise above the horizon of the Atlantic. The view reaches across more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) of ocean.
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