Quito Astronomical Observatory is a research institute of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional.
Its major research fields are astronomy and atmospheric physics.
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The Quito Astronomical Observatory, was founded in 1873. Its first director was Juan Bautista Menten, who directed and planned the construction of the Center, taking as model the Observatory of Bonn (Germany). This building was completely restored in 2009. Contains within it one of the most important collections of nineteenth-century scientific instruments, highlighting the large telescope Merz and the meridian circle Repsold.
It is now considered as a valuable asset of the Nation Monument. It can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Night Observations can be made Thursday from 18:30 to 19:30.
The activities and services currently provided by the OAQ are:
The Museum of the Quito Astronomical Observatory is located in one of the most traditional of the city, La Alameda park. At the Museum of the Observatory can be known personally and vivid history of the instruments used by early astronomers and scientists of the country. The Astronomical Observatory of Quito is one of the oldest in Latin America, and that is precisely one of its greatest attractions.
Many of the tools were used by the French Geodesic Mission II who worked in the facilities of the Center between 1902 and 1914. Merz Equatorial Telescope is the most important instrument of the Observatory. This was manufactured in 1875 in the city of Munich, Germany. Its designer and builder was Jacob Merz at which the telescope is named.