Llano de Chajnantor Observatory

Llano de Chajnantor Observatory
LocationAntofagasta Region, Chile
Coordinates23°01′22″S 67°45′18″W / 23.0228°S 67.755°W / -23.0228; -67.755
Altitude4,800 m (15,700 ft) Edit this at Wikidata
Telescopes
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is located in Chile
Llano de Chajnantor Observatory
Location of Llano de Chajnantor Observatory
  Related media on Commons

Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is the name for a group of astronomical observatories located at an altitude of over 4,800 m (15,700 ft) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is in the Antofagasta Region approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The exceptionally arid climate of the area is inhospitable to humans, but creates an excellent location for millimeter, submillimeter, and mid-infrared astronomy.[1] This is because water vapour absorbs and attenuates submillimetre radiation. Llano de Chajnantor is home to the largest and most expensive astronomical telescope project in the world, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Llano de Chajnantor and the surrounding area has been designated as the Chajnantor Science Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Científica de Chajnantor) by the government of Chile.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference PARQUE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ALMA-PRE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).