Observatories of Chile (Free Astronomy Public Lectures)

Presented by Prof. Jeremy Mould on 7th May 2015.

The skies of northern Chile are considered the best in the world for astronomy at visible through millimetre wavelengths. Most of the observatories are in the Norte Chico and Atacama regions. Cerro Paranal Observatory is the largest in the world. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is an international astronomical facility composed of a group of up to 66 radio antennae working together 5000 meters above sea level in the hghlands (Llano de Chajnantor) of the Andes Mountain Range, 50 kms from San Pedro de Atacama. ALMA is the most global astronomical project. Under development is the LSST - Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. The project, which brings together 19 universities and laboratories is under construction on Cerro Pachon and will be able to view, weekly, the entire visible Universe using a digital camera of 3000 million pixels. Cerro Armazones, 3,060 meters in height, situated in the Atacama desert some 130 km south of Antofagasta, Chile, is the site chosen for the largest telescope in the world -known as European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Las Campanas observatory is operated by Carnegie Institution of Washington, and its location is 2,500 meters above sea level. It will host the Giant Magellan Telescope. Australian astronomers are participating in its construction.