Las Cumbres Observatory

Rather than sitting on a single mountaintop, Las Cumbres Observatory spans the globe, a network of telescopes spread across both hemispheres that hands observations from one site to the next as the Earth turns.

About Las Cumbres Observatory

Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) is a nonprofit private operating foundation directed by technologist Wayne Rosing, with offices in Goleta, California. Its telescopes are distributed in longitude around the Earth at both northern and southern hemisphere sites, so that for many astronomical targets the network can deliver continuous observations lasting 24 hours or more.

History

The organisation was founded in 1993 and has since grown into an integrated global observing facility.

Telescopes & research

The operating network currently includes two 2-metre telescopes, nine 1-metre telescopes, and seven 40-centimetre telescopes spread across six astronomical observatory sites. A software scheduler continuously optimises the observing plan for each individual telescope, letting the whole network act as a single, coordinated instrument.

Location & getting there

Las Cumbres Observatory's administrative offices are based in Goleta, California, though its actual telescopes are scattered across observatory sites worldwide rather than concentrated at one location.

Visiting Las Cumbres Observatory

Because LCO operates as a distributed network rather than a single visitor site, check its official website for information on public outreach, education programmes, or specific telescope locations before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

A network built to track objects across the whole sky, day and night, is a fitting neighbour for a named star. When you name a star with Star Register, you get exact coordinates that work with any telescope, anywhere LCO's network reaches. Explore our star-naming packages or browse the star catalogue.