Las Campanas Observatory

Las Campanas Observatory (LCO), astronomical observatory established in 1969 in the Atacama desert of Chile at an altitude of 2,282 metres (7,487 feet). It is owned by the Carnegie Institution for Science, an American private research centre. The region is well known for its remarkably clear skies for astronomical observations. The observatory has five optical reflecting telescopes. The two largest telescopes, collectively named Magellan, have a diameter of 6.5 metres (260 inches). The first Magellan...