Mercedes Astronomical Observatory

The Municipal Astronomical Observatory of Mercedes, named for engineer Ángel Di Palma, sits in a protected patch of rural Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, where a local ordinance keeps the surrounding sky dark.

About Mercedes Astronomical Observatory

Officially the Municipal Astronomical Observatory of Mercedes "Ing. Ángel Di Palma," the facility was created in 1974 and began operations in 1978. Its research focuses on variable stars and open clusters alongside a strong public outreach and informal education programme, and it holds Minor Planet Center code 833.

History

After decades at its original site, the observatory relocated in 2007 to a rural area of Mercedes chosen for better sky quality. That new site is protected by a municipal ordinance preserving dark skies within a 1 kilometre radius, an unusual and deliberate safeguard for an urban-adjacent facility.

Telescopes & research

The observatory operates a 60cm Cassegrain reflector on a fork equatorial mount inside a 6-metre motorised dome, alongside a 30cm Cassegrain reflector on a German equatorial mount in a 3-metre dome. It also runs an All-Sky Imager for upper-atmosphere research and a meteorological station, supporting both its variable-star and open-cluster work.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located in Mercedes, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in the rural area it relocated to in 2007 specifically for darker skies.

Visiting Mercedes Astronomical Observatory

The observatory welcomes public outreach visits as part of its education mission. Checking the official website for current opening times and events is the best way to plan a trip.

See your named star from here

With two research-grade reflectors on hand, staff can direct a telescope to the coordinates of a star named through Star Register. Look up your star's position in the catalogue before visiting Mercedes Astronomical Observatory.