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Astronomy in Chile

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Chile's diverse and active astronomical community includes Chilean and international professionals, including astronomers, engineers, students, and teachers, as well as amateurs.

The first documented report of an astronomical measurement carried out in Chile was the observation of a lunar eclipse by the soldier Pedro Cuadrado Chavino in June 1582. He used a classic Greek method to establish the latitude of the city of Valdivia based on measurements during the eclipse. Three centuries thereafter, in 1849 under the government of Manuel Bulnes, a scientific mission organized by the U.S. Navy that was led by James Melville Gilliss arrived in Chile to observe Venus and Mars to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Gilliss' mission established the first astronomical observatory in the Cerro Santa Lucia (Santiago). Three years thereafter, in 1852, the facilities comprising that observatory were transferred to Chile and the National Astronomical Observatory was born. During the second half of the 20th century, observatories owned and operated by organizations in the U.S. and Europe were constructed in various locations in the north of the country: La Silla, Cerro Tololo, Las Campanas and later Cerro Paranal, Cerro Pachon and Chajnantor.

Chilean Astronomical Institutions

Professional astronomy

  • Center for Excellence in Astrophysics and Associated Technologies, CATA - Spanish & English

CATA is the largest Chilean R&D facility that exists for the development of technologies useful for astronomy. It is located in Calán Hill (Cerro Calán), in Santiago, Chile. This center has the largest number of astronomers in Chile, who hail from three universities: Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Concepción. CATA is engaged in work on nine different areas: six are focused on scientific research, three are focused on technological advances, and one is focused on Education & Outreach (to students, teachers, and the general public).

  • Millennium Center for Supernova Science - Spanish & English

This center, which is mainly dedicated to supernova research, brings together astronomers from the Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Andrés Bello.

  • Center of Astrophysics FONDAP - Spanish
  • Centre of Astrophysics Valparaiso
  • Chilean Astronomical Society (SOCHIAS) (in Spanish)

Northern Chile

  • Astronomy Center, University of Antofagasta
  • Astronomy Group, University of La Serena
  • Program in Physics with a division in Astronomy, Catholic University of the North

Central Chile

  • Astronomy Department, Universidad de Chile (Spanish & English)
  • Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Archived 2014-07-02 at the Wayback Machine, Universidad Católica de Chile (English & Spanish)
  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Valparaíso
  • Departamento de Astronomía Universidad Andrés Bello. (Spanish)
  • Group of Earth and Space Science, University of Santiago. (in Spanish)

Southern Chile

  • Astronomy Department, Universidad de Concepción. (Spanish and English)

Amateur astronomy

  • Cerro Los Condores Observatory (Atacama Region)
  • Cerro Mayu Observatory (Coquimbo Region)
  • Cerro Mamalluca Observatory (Coquimbo Region)
  • Cerro Collowara Observatory (Coquimbo Region)
  • Astronomical Society of Valparaiso and Viña (SAVAL) (Valparaiso Region)
  • Department of Astronomy (RASTRO), University of Concepcion (Bio-Bio Region)
  • Chilean Association of Astronomy and Astronautics (ACHAYA) (Metropolitan Region)
  • Metropolitan Amateur Astronomical Society (Metropolitan Region)

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