Remoto Bosque Alegre observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
In the Sierras Chicas hills near Alta Gracia, Argentina, the Observatorio Remoto Bosque Alegre (ORBA) puts a robotic telescope to work for one of South America's oldest astronomical institutions.
About Remoto Bosque Alegre Observatory
ORBA is a robotized station equipped with an 11-inch Celestron telescope, installed in 2012 and assigned Minor Planet Center observatory code X13 in May 2013. It is part of the Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba, itself founded on October 24, 1871, and operated by the National University of Córdoba (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba).
History
The site builds on the older Bosque Alegre Astrophysical Station, inaugurated in 1942 under the direction of astronomer Enrique Gaviola. The remote, robotic ORBA installation extends that long-running program into automated operation for present-day observations.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits in the Sierras Chicas, about 25 kilometers from Alta Gracia in Córdoba Province, Argentina, at an elevation of roughly 1,169 to 1,250 meters.
Visiting Remoto Bosque Alegre Observatory
As a robotic research station tied to the National University of Córdoba, ORBA does not operate as a general tourist site. Check with the Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba for any visiting or outreach opportunities before planning a trip.
See your named star from here
A telescope that observes the sky automatically from these Argentine hills is a reminder of how precisely a single star can be tracked from any point on Earth. Name a star and use its coordinates from the catalogue to find it for yourself.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
