Collowara Observatory is a tourist, scientific and educational observation center located on Cerro El Churqui (El Churqui Hill), 1300 mts. above sea level in the Coquimbo Region, 5 km away from the town of Andacollo, 61 km. to the Southeast of La Serena, the regional capital and 487 km. North of Santiago. Opened in 2004, its name comes from the Aymara language and means "hill (or land) of stars".
From pre-Hispanic times, Andacollo's economy has depended on mining activity, specifically medium and small Copper and Gold mines. However, in recent decades, Astrotourism has positioned itself strongly in the region, thanks to the excellent climate conditions and clean skies, free of any contamination. In addition to national tourists, other regular visitors come from the USA, Europe, Australia, Canada, etc., making the activity stronger and more important within the tourism industry.
Origins
Inaugurated on June 25, 2004, the
project was carried out with the participation of a team of
professionals, experts in astronomical matters, who designed the
facilities, of a beautiful architectural line and
state-of-the-art equipment.
Today, Collowara offers astronomy tours by specialized guides for all audiences, with a variety of high-resolution telescopes on the terraces and in the central dome which allow observing planets and constellations, with audiovisual rooms that show the sky in real time.
Collowara Observatory on Google Map HERE.
Equipment and Tours
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| Image: Collowara.cl |
It has a steel-aluminum dome that rotates 360 ° in both directions, as well as the 14-inch Smith Cassigrein model main telescope which, within its "menu", includes a moonwalk that allows astronomical photographs to be taken through a CCD camera.
Located outdoors and away from the structure of the observatory, there are three direct observation decks, arranged in a cross shape facing East, from where the Tololo and Gemini scientific observatories can be seen with the naked eye. On the decks are two automatic 10-inch Newtonian Smith model telescopes and 1 manual 16-inch Dobsonian model telescope.
Collowara offers different tours and programs for visitors who want to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Depending on the season and the weather conditions, you can see different astronomical phenomena, such as planets, moons, comets, eclipses, meteor showers and more. Some of the tours and programs available are:
- The regular tour, which lasts about two hours and includes a visit to the screening room, the terraces and the main dome. The tour is guided by experts who explain the basics of astronomy and answer questions from visitors. The tour costs about 13 USD per person.
- The astro-photography tour, which allows visitors to take pictures of the sky using their own cameras or smartphones. The tour includes a brief introduction to astro-photography techniques and tips, as well as access to the terraces and the main dome. The tour costs about 20 USD per person.
It has a steel-aluminum dome that rotates 360 ° in both directions, as well as the 14-inch Smith Cassigrein model main telescope which, within its "menu", includes a moonwalk that allows astronomical photographs to be taken through a CCD camera.
How to Get There/ Contact Information
Address: 5 km from the town of Andacollo.Office: Avenida La Serena 2 (in front of Copec Gas Station), Andacollo
Website: https://www.collowara.cl
Email: observatorio.collowara@gmail.com
Mobile Phones: +56 97645 2970 - +56 98881 0354 - +56 97136 1388
Email: observatorio.collowara@gmail.com
Mobile Phones: +56 97645 2970 - +56 98881 0354 - +56 97136 1388
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