La Plata Astronomical Observatory

The La Plata Astronomical Observatory has watched the southern sky over Argentina since 1883, standing today as one of the oldest and most historically significant observatories in South America.

About La Plata Astronomical Observatory

The observatory is located in the city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province, and is affiliated with the National University of La Plata. It carries the IAU observatory code 839 and has been credited as a minor-planet discovering observatory.

History

Founded on 22 November 1883, the observatory traces its roots to an 1872 initiative by the American astronomer Benjamin Apthorp Gould, following the establishment of Argentina's National Meteorological Bureau and inspired by transit-of-Venus observations carried out by French and Argentine astronomers. Its buildings were designed by Pedro Benoit, the master planner behind the city of La Plata itself, and its first director was Francisco Beuf, previously director of the Marine Observatory at Toulon, France. It originally housed two telescopes that ranked among the largest in the southern hemisphere at the time.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits within the city of La Plata, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and remains an active part of the university campus and city landscape. Use the map on this page for exact directions.

Visiting La Plata Astronomical Observatory

The city of La Plata promotes the observatory as a tourist destination; check the official La Plata tourism website for current opening times and any guided tour arrangements before visiting.

See your named star from here

An observatory with more than a century of history pointing precise instruments at the southern sky is a fitting place to track down a Star Register named star using its exact coordinates. Name a star, or explore the catalogue.