Charges for services at LCO – Las Campanas Observatory

Visitors are responsible for charges incurred during their stay at LCO. Values for charges are updated on a yearly basis.

(Last modified: March 14, 2025)

Charges for services are given in Chilean pesos (CLP) and converted to US$ at the daily rate. (Click here for the current exchange rate.)

Item	Charge
Room & Board on Mountain	CLP 116,000 per night
Regular Transportation (each way which will be charged per person)*	CLP 80,000
Special Transport Service (per vehicle each way - not a round trip)*	CLP 160,000
La Serena Motel Room	CLP 64,000 per night
Courier for Visa Invitation Letters	CLP 32,000
Lunch (per person)	CLP 13,000
Masks for Multi-Object Spectrographs	IMACS: CLP 568,750 GISMO: CLP 65,625 LDSS3: CLP 26,250 (when cut from old stock at position 4 as specified in LDSS3 Updates page)

Note: The Observatory will cover the lodging, room and board, and regular transportation expenses for up to two (2) observer(s) registered on the Chilean Time Access List (LATC) who attend an observing run assigned by the Chilean National Time Allocation Committee (CNTAC). Any transportation required outside the regular schedule—even if requested in advance due to flight changes or other reasons—will be considered Special Transportation and will be charged directly to the observer and/or the sponsoring institution.