La Silla Observatory

La Silla Observatory

Alternative names	La Silla 1.52m
Organization	European Southern Observatory
Observatory code	809
Location	Coquimbo Region, Chile
Coordinates	29°15′27″S 70°44′15″W / 29.2575°S 70.7375°W / -29.2575; -70.7375
Altitude	2,400 m (7,900 ft)
Established	1964
Website	www.ls.eso.org/index.html
Telescopes	ESO 1-m Schmidt telescope BlackGEM ESO 3.6 m Telescope MASCARA MPG/ESO telescope New Technology Telescope Rapid Eye Mount telescope Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope Swiss 1.2-metre Leonhard Euler Telescope TAROT-South robotic observatory TRAPPIST
Location of La Silla Observatory
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La Silla Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Chile with three telescopes built and operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Several other telescopes are also located at the site and are partly maintained by ESO. The observatory is one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and was the first in Chile to be used by ESO.^[1]

The La Silla telescopes and instruments are located 150 km northeast of La Serena, on the outskirts of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest and most remote areas in the world. Like other observatories in this region, La Silla is far from sources of light pollution and, like the Paranal Observatory—home to the Very Large Telescope—it has some of the darkest night skies on Earth.