If you plan to attend Spanish classes in Chile, be sure not to limit your education to just the language. There are many fascinating things to discover in Chile, including La Silla Observatory. One of the largest observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, La Silla is operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
The La Silla Observatory is located in the outskirts of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Therefore, when you learn Spanish in Chile, it won't exactly be nearby. The reason that the observatory is essentially in the middle of nowhere is because in order to receive the most accurate results, it needed to be based far from light pollution. Plus, the Atacama Desert has completely clear skies almost 300 days a year. La Silla's location was carefully selected in the 1960s, and by 1969 President Eduardo Frei Montalva was able to proudly inaugurate the new working facility. Besides telescopes, the site also includes hotels, workshops, and dormitories for staff and visitors.
Currently, the European Southern Observatory operates three optical and near infrared telescopes at La Silla including the 3.6 m telescope, the New Technology Telescope and the 2.2-m Max-Planck-ESO telescope. There are other telescopes hosted as well including ones that aren't operated by ESO, such as the Rapid Eye Mount Telescope and the TAROT Telescope. All of these telescopes are based on state of the art technology.
As the impressive high tech facilities might lead one to imagine, some important scientific discoveries have taken place at La Silla. Research at La Silla results in the publication of about 300 scientific articles per year. For example, telescopes from La Silla linked gamma ray bursts with massive star explosions. The La Silla Observatory also closely studies the recent supernova SN 1987A.
Since the observatory is about 600 km north of Santiago, it is possible to visit the site when you learn Spanish in Chile. However, it is important to realize that La Silla Observatory is typically only open to engineering students and professors. A special tourism program organizes these tours, which take about 3 hours.
Even if you aren't able to visit La Silla when you learn Spanish in Chile, the country has other facilities where you can view telescopes. One excellent place to visit is the Santiago Museum of Science and Technology. This museum has a newly renovated Astronomy Hall, which is supported by the ESO. When you are not busy with your Spanish classes in Chile, this popular museum can be easily found in the Quinta Normal Park. It is important to get a well-rounded experience during your stay in Latin America, and understanding more about the country's scientific community will assist you to do just that.
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