The Gran Ecuatorial
A historic telescope.
Unknown authorUnknown author — Public domain · Juandedeboca — CC BY 4.0 · Gelpgim22 (Sergio Panei Pitrau) — CC BY 3.0 · Unknown authorUnknown author — Public domain · Unknown authorUnknown author — Public domain
The La Plata Astronomical Observatory is a historic observatory ordered in 1881 by Dardo Rocha, founder of the city of La Plata; work began in November 1883, and its first director was the French naval officer Francisco Beuf. Among its achievements was the discovery of comet Delavan in 1913. It stands in the Paseo del Bosque, the same large park that holds the La Plata Museum, and is today the National University's faculty of astronomy and geophysics. Historic buildings with metal domes sheltering old telescopes are scattered among the trees, above all the Gran Ecuatorial dome with its large Gautier refractor, the meridian building, and the Astronomy and Geophysics Museum, which keeps the instruments the observatory acquired in the early twentieth century. Every Friday from March to December researchers give a free open talk at 19:00 with no booking, followed at 20:00 by a tour ending with stargazing through the big telescope, weather permitting.
A historic telescope.
After the talk.
Old instruments.
Paseo del Bosque, La Plata
La Plata Museum of Natural HistoryThe La Plata Museum is one of the largest natural history museums in South Ameri3 minutes walk4.7
Casa Curutchet (Le Corbusier)Casa Curutchet is the only house the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier designe11 minutes walk
Pasaje Dardo Rocha (La Plata)The Pasaje Dardo Rocha is one of the finest buildings in La Plata, capital of Bu21 minutes walk
Teatro Argentino de La PlataThe Teatro Argentino in La Plata is one of the country's leading opera and balle25 minutes walkFriday evenings March to December: a free talk at 19:00, then a tour and telescope viewing at 20:00.