CTIO on the Edge of the World

Beautiful sunsets often grace the telescopes of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. Pictured in this aerial image are the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope (foreground), the SMARTS 1.5-meter, 0.9-meter, and 1.0-meter Telescopes, the Curtis Schmidt Telescope, and many more of the 40+ NOIRLab-operated telescopes in the foothills of the Chilean Andes. At 2200 meters (7200 feet) above sea level and in its relatively isolated position, Cerro Tololo is the perfect place to observe the southern skies. In fact, the summit takes its name from the way it drops away steeply on the northern side, as described by the local Indigenous Diaguita people. After 60 years of fruitful discoveries, CTIO continues to push the boundaries of astronomy with bountiful observations of the abyss up above.