| Cerro Armazones | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the Cerro Armazones | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,046 m (9,993 ft) |
| Coordinates | 24°35′21″S 70°11′32″W / 24.58917°S 70.19222°W |
| Geography | |
  Cerro Armazones Location in Chile | |
| Location | Antofagasta Region, Chile |
| Parent range | Cordillera Vicuña Mackenna |
Cerro Armazones is a mountain located in the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna of the Chilean Coast Range of the Andes, approximately 130 km (81 mi) southeast of Antofagasta in the Antofagasta Region, Chile. The mountain is situated in an ideal location for optical astronomy due to its 89% cloudless nights annually.[1] On 26 April 2010, the European Southern Observatory Council selected Cerro Armazones as the site for the planned Extremely Large Telescope (ELT); construction commenced in June 2014.[2][3] The first light observation is scheduled for 2027.[4]
Prior to ELT construction, Cerro Armazones had an elevation of 3,064 metres (10,052 ft),[4][5] but the resulting plateau now stands several meters lower after the summit was truncated during construction.
Situated on a neighbouring hill approximately 1 km (1 mi) to the southwest and 230 m (755 ft) below Cerro Armazones lies the Polish Cerro Armazones Observatory, operated by the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Observations are conducted by the Araucaria Project.[6]
- ^ Schöck, M.; Els, S.; Riddle, R.; Skidmore, W.; Travouillon, T.; Blum, R.; Bustos, E.; Chanan, G.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Gillett, P.; Gregory, B.; Nelson, J.; Otárola, A.; Seguel, J.; Vasquez, J.; Walker, A.; Walker, D.; Wang, L. (1 April 2009). "Thirty Meter Telescope Site Testing I: Overview". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 121 (878): 384–395. arXiv:0904.1183. Bibcode:2009PASP..121..384S. doi:10.1086/599287.
- ^ "E-ELT Site Chosen". Europe: European Southern Observatory. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
- ^ "Astronomers to blow top off mountain to make way for world's biggest". The Independent. 2014-06-19. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ a b [email protected]. "Facts | ELT | ESO". elt.eso.org. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ^ Joint Operations Graphic (JPEG) (Map) (1st ed.). 1:250,000. 1501. Defence Mapping Agency Topographic Center. 1974. p. Sheet SG 19-2.
- ^ "Polish Astronomical Observatory Opened in the Atacama Desert in Chile". Polish Science. Polish Science. 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2024-10-19.