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| Image: turismoregiondecoquimbo.cl |
Observatorio Cruz del Sur (Southern Cross Tourist Observatory), is located on El Peralito hill, 3.5 kilometers from the main square of Combarbala, South of La Serena, capital of the Coquimbo Region, Chile. It was inaugurated in 2009 and its name is due to the position of its domes that emulate the constellation of the same name.
The project, of an innovative architectural design, was funded by the Regional Council of Coquimbo and promoted by the local Municipality in association with the planetarium of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
Based on the growing interest in this type of tourism nowadays, Cruz del Sur aims to become one of the most important tourist monitoring centers worldwide.
Some of the activities that can be done include day and night tours, astronomical observation, attend talks, lectures and special events in its open-air amphitheater, visit to the observatory facilities.
The project, of an innovative architectural design, was funded by the Regional Council of Coquimbo and promoted by the local Municipality in association with the planetarium of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
Based on the growing interest in this type of tourism nowadays, Cruz del Sur aims to become one of the most important tourist monitoring centers worldwide.
Some of the activities that can be done include day and night tours, astronomical observation, attend talks, lectures and special events in its open-air amphitheater, visit to the observatory facilities.
Equipment and Tours
The domes that point in the direction of the North and South cardinal points work with the Meade LX200-R Schmidt-Cassegrain 16" telescopes while the domes pointing East and West, house the Meade LX200-R Schmidt-Cassegrain 14" observation instruments.Each telescope is mounted on an independent platform that isolates the vibrations of the dome. This assembling is known as "equatorial" and allows observations of amateurs and astrophotography, opening the possibility of a professional use of the instruments.
MEADE brand telescopes are state-of-the-art equipment, with Global Positioning System, computerized and store a memory of 140,000 objects. Thus the range of the astronomical tour is quite wide. Working with 14 ”and 16” instruments allows a better quality observation, because when observing with larger telescopes, the mirrors are larger.
Open to the public of all ages, it is recommended to book the tours 48 hours in advance, go with closed and comfortable shoes, and not bring pets or food. Those interested can contact the Regional Tourism Agencies or use the contact information included above.
How to Get There
Distances:Santiago- Combarbala 355 km
La Serena- Combarbala 188 km
Viña del Mar- Combarbala 293 km.
From Santiago:
Route 5 Norte to the detour of Combarbala (km 279), take Route D-71 to km 78 (entrance to Combarbala).
From La Serena:
Route 43 to Ovalle, take the detour to Monte Patria, then Route D-55 to Combarbala (paved route), or from Ovalle go to Punitaqui and take the route to Combarbala (rural road).
Contact information:
Land line: +56 53 2741854
WhatsApp: +56 9 93880191
Email: obscruzdelsur@gmail.com
Website: https://www.observatoriocruzdelsur.cl/
Open:
All year.
Monday to Friday 09:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
WhatsApp: +56 9 93880191
Email: obscruzdelsur@gmail.com
Website: https://www.observatoriocruzdelsur.cl/
Open:
All year. Monday to Friday 09:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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