La Silla Observatory Opens for Public Visits during Winter

ESO’s observatories at La Silla and Paranal and the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF) already operate a schedule of public visits. But now that schedule is expanding, as for the first time La Silla Observatory will open its doors to the public during the Chilean winter. Until now, the observatory has been closed to visitors during July and August due to extreme weather conditions. Henceforth La Silla will receive visitors every Saturday from 14.00 to 17.00, offering them the opportunity to see in person ESO’s first observatory in Chile.

Located 600 kilometres north of Santiago de Chile at the edge of the Atacama Desert, La Silla Observatory hosts two of the most productive 4-metre-class telescopes in the world, the ESO 3.6-metre telescope and the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT). Alongside other facilities in the complex, both telescopes will from now on be open to visitors throughout the year, on Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:00. To register for a visit to La Silla, please submit this Visitor Form. In case of a suspension of weekend visits due to bad weather, visitors will be notified between Thursday and Saturday vía telephone or email. More information on public visits to La Silla is available here.

Paranal Observatory and the ALMA OSF will continue with their usual weekend visit programme. Further information about bookings can be found here. Reservations are mandatory.

Courtesy of European Southern Observatory