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El cielo como patrimonio:
la astronomía en Río Hurtado

Río Hurtado se ha consolidado como uno de los destinos más privilegiados del mundo para la observación astronómica. Gracias a sus cielos despejados, baja contaminación lumínica y ubicación geográfica estratégica, nuestra comuna ofrece una experiencia única para quienes buscan conectarse con el universo.

El astroturismo no solo enriquece la oferta turística local, sino que también impulsa el desarrollo sostenible de la zona. Observatorios como El Sauce han sido clave en descubrimientos científicos de alcance internacional, atrayendo a investigadores, fotógrafos y amantes del cosmos de todo el mundo.

Además de las observaciones nocturnas, los visitantes pueden participar en talleres, charlas y recorridos guiados que combinan ciencia, cultura y naturaleza. Esta fusión convierte a Río Hurtado en un destino ideal para quienes desean vivir una experiencia transformadora bajo uno de los cielos más limpios del planeta.

El compromiso de la comuna con la certificación de cielos oscuros refuerza su liderazgo en turismo astronómico, asegurando que las futuras generaciones también puedan maravillarse con la Vía Láctea desde este rincón del norte chico.

Galería Astronomica

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Cerro Pachón

Cerro Pachón es una montaña ubicada en la Región de Coquimbo, al este de La Serena, y es uno de los epicentros más importantes de la astronomía mundial . Su altitud de aproximadamente 2.700 metros y su clima seco con cielos despejados lo convierten en un lugar privilegiado para la observación astronómica.
En el se encuentra el Observatorio Vera C. Rubin: Ubicado en el limite entre la comuna de Río Hurtado y Vicuña.
Desde La Serena, se accede por la Ruta 41 y luego por un camino de tierra de unos 20 km. El acceso está restringido y controlado por NOIRLab, que administra las instalaciones junto con AURA.
¿Qué lo hace especial?🌿

- Condiciones atmosféricas ideales: Baja humedad, escasa contaminación lumínica y estabilidad geológica.

- Biodiversidad adaptada al clima desértico: Cactus, arbustos, cóndores andinos, zorros y viscachas habitan la zona.

- Importancia cultural: Se han encontrado sitios de arte rupestre vinculados a la cultura El Molle (300 a.C. – 800 d.C.)
NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory atop Cerro Pachón in Chile is outlined against the full Moon rising above the horizon. A trick of perspective has enlarged the Moon beyond the size we’d naturally see it on Earth in this Image of the Week. Often regarded as an ‘enemy’ of non-lunar astronomers because of its brightness, the beauty of Earth’s natural satellite cannot be ignored. On the right side of the Moon in this image is the large and relatively young Tycho crater, with its distinctive ray system prominently spreading across the lunar surface. On the bottom and left side are large, dark maria, basaltic plains that formed during the early life of the Moon 1.2–4 billion years ago. The largest of the maria in this image is the Sea of Tranquility, the first site on the Moon visited by humans. This image was captured during the final phase of the construction of Rubin Observatory. Starting in 2025, Rubin will conduct a decade-long survey of the Southern Sky called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and generate about 20 terabytes of data per night. Rubin Observatory is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Rubin Observatory will begin science operations in late 2025. Rubin Observatory is a Program of NSF NOIRLab, which, along with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, will jointly operate Rubin. This photo was taken by Hernán Stockebrand, a NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is seen with its dome open during First Look observation activities in April 2025. Messier 41, the Little Beehive Cluster, can be seen over the telescope in this telelens photo.
Vera C. Rubin Observatory sits under the faint glow of a fascinating astronomical phenomenon known as zodiacal light. It appears as a faint, cone-shaped glow that extends along the path followed by the planets and Sun (known as the ecliptic) and is caused by sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust that sits in the plane of our Solar System. This phenomenon is most easily seen in the western sky just after sunset or in the eastern sky just before sunrise. The dust is thought to be left by comet tails and collisions between asteroids. Zodiacal light is faint and usually drowned out by light-polluted skies or glare from the Moon.  The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE/SC). Rubin Observatory is a Program of NSF NOIRLab, which, along with DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, will jointly operate Rubin. Rubin Observatory is being built on Cerro Pachón, Chile which is one of the best observing sites in the southern hemisphere, making it a great place to capture such a rare sight as zodiacal light. When complete it will use its 8.4-meter mirror combined with the largest camera ever built for astronomy to begin an ambitious decade-long survey of the southern sky called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) that will help answer some of the biggest questions about the Universe. Rubin Observatory will begin science operations in late 2025. This photo was taken by Hernán Stockebrand, NOIRLab Audiovisual Ambassador.
Sunset at Rubin Observatory on Cerro Pachón in Chile.
Star trails are seen over NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in this timelapse image captured during First Look observation activities in April 2025.
In a fantastically planned shot of the Moon, this image of Gemini South was timed to capture an almost perfectly full Moon framing the telescope. The other two telescopes caught between the red rocks of Cerro Pachón and the blue skies are the SOAR Telescope on the left and the almost finished Vera C. Rubin Observatory on the right. If you inspect the photograph closely, the red cranes being used to construct Rubin Observatory can just be spotted against the white dome. When complete, the telescope will be used to conduct an unprecedented, decade-long survey of the sky at optical wavelengths called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Gemini South is the southern member of the pair of telescopes that make up the international Gemini Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.
Imágenes Observatorio Vera C. Rubin de NSF-DOE, Cerro Pachón.
Pertenecientes a NOIRLab.

Observatorio Vera C. Rubin


El Observatorio Vera C. Rubin, ubicado en el Cerro Pachón en la Región de Coquimbo, es una de las instalaciones astronómicas más revolucionarias del mundo . Su misión principal es realizar el Levantamiento del Espacio-Tiempo como Legado (LSST), un estudio sin precedentes que escaneará todo el cielo visible del hemisferio sur cada pocos días durante diez años.
El observatorio lleva el nombre de Vera Rubin, pionera en la investigación de la materia oscura.
Está financiado por la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias (NSF) y el Departamento de Energía de EE.UU., y operado por NOIRLab

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