Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

Cerro Tololo Observatory complex, with the open dome Blanco Telescope in front
Alternative names	CTIO
Organization	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Observatory code	807
Location	Coquimbo Region, Chile
Coordinates	30°10′09″S 70°48′23″W / 30.16917°S 70.80639°W / -30.16917; -70.80639
Altitude	2,207 m (7,241 ft)
Established	1962
Website	noirlab.edu/public/programs/ctio/
Telescopes
SOAR Telescope 4.1 m reflector Blanco Telescope 4.0 m reflector SMARTS 1.5-meter 1.5 m reflector SMARTS 1.3-meter 1.3 m reflector SMARTS "Yale" Telescope 1.0 m reflector LCOGTN (u/c) 3× 1.0 m reflectors SMARTS 0.9-meter 0.9 m reflector PROMPT 7 (u/c) 0.8 m reflector Curtis-Schmidt Telescope 0.6 m reflector Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper 0.6 m telescope SARA South Telescope 0.6 m reflector CHASE telescope 0.5 m reflector PROMPT 6× 0.4 m reflectors GONG solar telescope
Location of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) is an astronomical observatory located on the summit of Mt. Cerro Tololo in the Coquimbo Region of northern Chile, with additional facilities located on Mt. Cerro Pachón about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the southeast. It is approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of La Serena, where support facilities are located. The principal telescopes at CTIO are the 4 m Víctor M. Blanco Telescope, named after Puerto Rican astronomer Víctor Manuel Blanco, and the 4.1 m Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope, which is situated on Cerro Pachón.^[1] Other telescopes on Cerro Tololo include the 1.5 m, 1.3 m, 1.0 m, and 0.9 m telescopes operated by the SMARTS consortium. CTIO also hosts other research projects, such as PROMPT, WHAM, and LCOGTN, providing a platform for access to the southern hemisphere for U.S. and worldwide scientific research.^[2]