"It was perfect. It protected the sky, people spent less money and it protected animals and plants as well," said Saa. "Animals have a natural cycle of day and night, and birds, for example, it helps them sleep. Everybody’s happier."

Following Vicuña’s lead, the Chilean government has passed several laws in recent years requiring cities in the northern regions to cap their ambient light output. To show their gratitude, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, an international organization to which Saa’s Tololo observatory belongs, donated the Mamalluca telescope and equipment worth a total estimated at $6,000.

The mania set off by the telescope has spurred the city and federal governments to undertake a $2 million expansion plan that should include a visitor center and another large telescope by 2003. Other attractions will include a sound stage featuring music from the region’s Inca heritage.

But prosperity does bring its share of hangers-on. "That used to be just a house and a couple of orange trees," Pizarro said, pointing down the hill from the observatory.

"Now it’s some kind of resort. People are coming in and out of there all the time. But that’s okay -- as long as they keep their lights down."