Tours and Activities:

Looking at the Sky and the Night of Chillán

There is nothing more beautiful than watching the sky at night and everything it treasures for the enjoyment of men who dare to face immensity. Chillán has a unique site for that.

Located at Valle de las Trancas, close to the Chillán hot springs and 1,300 meters MSL, Cielos de Shangri-La Tourist Astronomical Observatory lies at the foot of the Chillán Viejo and Nuevo Volcanoes and the Shangri-La Glacier and gives its name to this magical enterprise.

The idea of the project is that visitors may have the chance to enjoy the sky of southern Chile, as this country is already famous for the observatories located in its northern zone. This observatory in particular enables first-comers and experts to become familiar with the sky in an amazing way.

The observatory has a revolving dome whose diameter reaches 4 meters and a motorized telescope with an 18-inch mirror. The telescope is one of the largest in size to be motorized that may be found inside tourist observatories in the country and its quality lets viewers see the deep sky (nebula, cumulus, galaxies, to name a few), with very good resolution.

The observation night tours are carried out in groups of eight maximum and they take one and a half hours. They start outside the observatory, where the vastness of the sky may be appreciated while an expert gives a brief lecture on the various constellations and objects of special interest observable that day.

The rest of the observation experience takes place inside the dome, while the best objects offered by the night are on display. The catalog integrated to the engine system -known as Argonavis- makes observation easier and fun.

In the daytime, the observatory also features a solar filter that allows the observation of our star -the Sun- in a completely safe fashion.

In addition to being a tourist attraction itself, this place is a target for families, schools and companies that wish to learn a little bit more and usually find an ideal excuse to meet in the sky.

Contact

Misión Imposible Lodge & Marula Spa Boutique

Fundo Los Pretiles Parc 83, (3780000) , Chillán, VIII Región del Biobio
Cel: +56 993217567

See also: Hotels in Chillán and other accommodation venues