Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T09:15:18.501Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Site Protection Efforts at the AURA Observatory in Chile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

R. Chris Smith
Affiliation:
AURA Observatory in Chile, Avenida Juan Cisternas 1600, La Serena, Chile email: [email protected]
Pedro Sanhueza
Affiliation:
OPCC, Avenida Juan Cisternas 1606, La Serena, Chile email: [email protected]
Malcolm G. Smith
Affiliation:
NOAO/CTIO, Avenida Juan Cisternas 1600, La Serena, Chile email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The AURA Observatory site in northern Chile, which includes Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon, has been operational for over 50 years now, facing a variety of challenges to its long-term future. The site now hosts over 20 operational telescopes, ranging from small projects with 0.4m telescopes to the Blanco 4m, the SOAR 4.1m, and the 8m Gemini-South telescopes. In addition, we have recently begun the construction of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) on the summit of Cerro Pachon. We summarize our efforts over the past 20-30 years to highlight the importance of site protection through education and public outreach as well as through more recent promotion of IDA certifications in the region and support for the World Heritage initiatives described by others in this conference.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016