Telescope Live observatory
Satellite imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
Telescope Live observatory refers to El Sauce Observatory in the Rio Hurtado Valley, Coquimbo Region, Chile, a key southern-hemisphere site in the Telescope Live network.
About Telescope Live observatory
El Sauce Observatory sits at between roughly 1,525 and 1,570 metres of elevation and benefits from over 300 clear nights a year, with seeing conditions in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 arcseconds, among the best available for remote astronomical imaging.
Telescopes & research
The site houses three main instruments: CHI-1, a Planewave CDK 24; CHI-2, the largest aperture instrument at 1 metre; and CHI-3, an ASA 50cm telescope. Together they make El Sauce the primary site for Telescope Live's southern-hemisphere astrophotography and scientific observing programmes.
Location & getting there
El Sauce Observatory is located in the Rio Hurtado Valley of Chile's Coquimbo Region, a part of South America renowned internationally for exceptionally dark, dry skies and world-class astronomical seeing.
Visiting Telescope Live observatory
As a remote-operations facility built for online telescope access rather than public tours, prospective users should check Telescope Live's website for current access to CHI-1, CHI-2 and CHI-3 rather than planning an in-person visit.
See your named star from here
With over 300 clear nights a year and some of the best seeing conditions anywhere, El Sauce Observatory is an outstanding place to picture a star named in someone's honour. Its telescopes, including the 1-metre CHI-2, can be aimed at any named star's exact coordinates. Browse the star catalogue or name a star today.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.