La Silla Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
La Silla Observatory rises from the edge of Chile's Atacama Desert, 2,400 metres above sea level in the Coquimbo region, where some of the clearest, darkest skies on Earth have drawn astronomers since the 1960s.
About La Silla Observatory
Founded in 1964, La Silla was the first observatory site in Chile developed by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and it remains one of the largest observatories in the Southern Hemisphere. The site is roughly 150 km northeast of La Serena, on the northern fringe of the Atacama Desert - one of the driest, most remote regions on the planet.
Telescopes & research
ESO built and operates three main telescopes at La Silla, alongside several other instruments on-site that are partly maintained by ESO. Like its sister facility Paranal Observatory - home to the Very Large Telescope - La Silla benefits from extremely low light pollution and consistently dark, stable skies, conditions that have kept it a working professional astronomy site for six decades.
Location & getting there
La Silla sits in Chile's Coquimbo region, in the high, arid terrain northeast of La Serena, where altitude and distance from cities combine to create exceptional viewing conditions.
Visiting La Silla Observatory
As a working ESO research site, access is more restricted than at a public visitor centre. Anyone hoping to visit should check ESO's official website for current tour arrangements and any advance booking requirements before travelling.
See your named star from here
Few places on Earth offer skies as dark as La Silla's, the kind of conditions where a newly named star truly stands out. Name a star and get its exact coordinates, or explore the stars others have already registered in our catalogue.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.
