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Welcome to our Website!

 All astronomers awarded telescope time at LCO are welcome to return to site for in situ observations. Other technical and scientific visits are also possible pending Director authorization of a written plan of activities.

If you have any comments or feedback about our website, please send an email to contacto@lco.cl.

Las Campanas Observatory

The Las Campanas Observatory is located at a superb site high in the southern reaches of Chile’s Atacama Desert, and was established in 1969 to be home to both 40-inch and 100-inch reflecting telescopes. The newest additions here, twin 6.5-meter reflectors, are remarkable members of the latest generation of giant telescopes. The future of Las Campanas Observatory will be marked by the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), an extremely large telescope that, with seven segmented mirrors, will be 80 feet in diameter. LCO is part of the Astronomy & Astrophysics division of the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Carnegie Astronomy & Astrophysics

The history of 20th century astronomy is inextricably linked to the Carnegie Observatories. From the revelation of the universe’s expansion to the discovery of dark energy, Carnegie Observatories scientists have transformed humankind’s understanding of the cosmos. The groundbreaking work continues today at our world-famous Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, home to the twin Magellan telescopes, and site of the future Giant Magellan Telescope. Carnegie scientists are still at the vanguard of research on galaxy formation and evolution, the chemical evolution of stars and planets, stellar variability, supernovae, and more.

Latest articles and news

A metal-poor star discovered in the Milky Way

Thanks to observations made with telescopes in Chile—in particular with the Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal Observatory (ESO)—a team of astronomers from the Institute of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Valparaíso (IFA UV), together with a large international network of collaborators, discovered a young star that increased its luminosity to 100 times its normal brightness, maintaining that intensity for almost a decade.

 

The History of Las Campanas Observatory

Digital platform offers a 360° reconstruction of the Valparaíso building, as well as downloadable educational guides aligned with the school curriculum, with the aim of bringing history closer to students, teachers, and the general public. One of the collaborating institutions is the Las Campanas Observatory.