Las Campanas Observatory

Las Campanas Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science It was established in 1969 and remains the primary observing site of that institution. The headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile and the observatory is in the southern Atacama desert and about 100 km to the northeast of the city. The observatory is at an altitude of 2400 meters (7900 feet).

On February 24, 1987 at this observatory, Ian Shelton and Oscar Duhalde became the first official observers of Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A).

Telescopes

• Magellan Telescopes — Twin 6.5 m, christened Walter Baade and Landon Clay
• Du Pont Telescope — 2.5-meter (100-inch), named after Irénée du Pont and in operation since 1977 ^[2]
• Swope Telescope — 1 m, named after Henrietta Swope
• Warsaw Telescope — 1.3 m, owned by Warsaw University Observatory
• Giant Magellan Telescope (planned) — 24.5 m effective (seven 8.4 m segments)
• NANTEN Telescope (closed) — 4m millimeter-wavelength radio telescope, transported to Atacama desert, Chile.

Also located here are the small "Pi of the sky" wide-angle cameras that filmed the appearance of GRB 080319B.[1]

External links

• Las Campanas Observatory
• Carnegie Institution for Science

References

1. ^ "Topographic Map of Observatory Site". http://maps.google.com/maps?t=p&q=-29.015,-70.692222&ie=UTF8&ll=-29.015,-70.692222&spn=0.039443,0.04446&z=15. Retrieved 28 December 2009. 
2. ^ http://www.ociw.edu/dupont/