MASTER-OAFA Observatory

MASTER-OAFA Observatory sits high in the Andean foothills of San Juan Province, Argentina, at the historic Félix Aguilar Observatory site inside El Leoncito National Park.

About MASTER-OAFA Observatory

MASTER-OAFA is a robotic telescope station hosted within El Leoncito National Park in San Juan Province, Argentina, at an elevation of roughly 2,400 metres in the foothills of the Andes. It operates alongside the long-established Félix Aguilar Observatory (OAFA).

History

The parent Félix Aguilar Observatory was established in 1953, and MASTER-OAFA itself began operations on 10 February 2012, the result of a partnership between Lomonosov Moscow State University, OAFA, the Instituto de Ciencias Astronomicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio (ICATE), the National University of San Juan, and the Moscow Union 'Optic'.

Telescopes & research

The station uses MASTER-VWF wide-field cameras as part of the Global MASTER-Net, contributing to gamma-ray burst follow-up observations and monitoring for events linked to gravitational waves.

Location & getting there

El Leoncito National Park sits high in the Andean foothills of San Juan Province, a remote, high-altitude location chosen for its clear, dark skies and minimal light pollution.

Visiting MASTER-OAFA Observatory

The wider Félix Aguilar Observatory site welcomes visitor enquiries; it's best to contact the Universidad Nacional de San Juan's Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales in advance to check current access before travelling.

See your named star from here

Perched in the Andes at 2,400 metres, this is a genuinely dark-sky location for tracking down a star named through Star Register. Check your star's coordinates any time in the star catalogue.