Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory, Astronomical observatory in Mérida, Venezuela

Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory is a research facility located high in the Andes near Mérida, where four dome structures house telescopes of different sizes and capabilities. The site includes exhibition spaces and observation areas designed for both scientific work and visitor engagement.

The project dates to the 1950s, when director Eduardo Röhl was sent to Germany to buy instruments from Askania and Zeiss. After Röhl's death in 1959 and political changes, a commission led by Francisco J. Duarte chose the Andean site near Mérida in 1962. Equipment was moved to Mérida in 1971, and in December 1975 a presidential decree created the CIDA foundation, with Jürgen Stock as first director.

The observatory is run by CIDA, the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía "Francisco J. Duarte", created by presidential decree in December 1975 and named after the physicist Francisco J. Duarte. Its first director was Jürgen Stock, after whom the 1-m Schmidt telescope is named. A museum and exhibition centre on site explains the work of the observatory and CIDA to visitors.

The high altitude location means visitors should prepare for thinner air and bring warm clothing regardless of the season. Guided tours lead you through the telescope domes and allow time for observing the night sky through the facility's instruments.

The location near the equator gives astronomers an exceptional vantage point to observe celestial objects visible from both northern and southern skies. This geographical advantage allows scientists to study aspects of the universe that are difficult to reach from observatories at other latitudes.