Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, Astronomical observatory at Garafía, La Palma, Spain.
Description
The Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an international research facility in Garafía on La Palma island, housing multiple telescopes at 2396 meters elevation on the northern rim of the Caldera de Taburiente. Among the instruments is the Gran Telescopio Canarias with a mirror diameter of roughly ten meters, ranking among the largest optical telescopes in the world.
History
Operations started in 1984 with the Isaac Newton Telescope, relocated here from the Royal Greenwich Observatory in England. Over the following decades, more instruments were added, funded and operated by different European institutions.
Culture
The name refers to the island's highest peak, on whose slopes the facility sits and from where visitors can see above the cloud layer on clear days. Research teams from several countries work side by side here, sharing observation data through a fast network that operates around the clock.
Practical
The site sits above the cloud line, so temperatures can be much cooler than on the coast even in summer and warm clothing is advisable. The approach follows a winding mountain road that demands extra attention in wet or foggy conditions.
Did you know?
The air here is so dry and clean that the night sky often stays completely clear, revealing stars all the way to the horizon. Four helicopter pads allow rapid assistance in case of technical problems or medical emergencies despite the remote location.
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Roque de los Muchachos
1.4 km
Caldera de Taburiente National Park
1.5 km
Gran Telescopio Canarias
821 m
William Herschel Telescope
1.3 km
Isaac Newton Telescope
1.7 km
Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes
494 m
Swedish Solar Telescope
1.4 km
Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes
1.7 km
Nordic Optical Telescope
1.2 km
Liverpool Telescope
1.5 km
Galileo National Telescope
1.2 km
Dutch Open Telescope
1.4 km
Carlsberg Meridian Telescope
1.3 km
Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope
1.6 km
Barranco de Las Angustias
8.7 km
Mercator Telescope
1.7 km
Las Nieves Natural Park
8.3 km
Pico Bejenado
8.1 km
Parque Cultural La Zarza
4.8 km
Church of San Mauro Abad y Casa Parroquial
8.2 km
Galaxy H-Alpha Fabry-Perot System
1.3 km
Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Tijarafe
8.3 km
Roque de los Muchachos Visitor Centre
583 m
LST-1
386 m
Capilla de Cueva del Agua
7.8 km
Costa de Triana
7.4 km
Peace Lookout
8.4 km
Roque de los Muchachos
1.3 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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