The Antilhue observatory is located about 100km (60 miles)
north of Santiago de Chile, in a valley in the foothills of the Cordillera de
los Andes, the Andes mountain range.
Altitude is 1500 m above msl (4500 ft). Because of the
observatory's valley location there are hills and mountains all around, resulting in a 360°
horizon at 10-15° elevation.
It is a dark site, with some interference from the city of Los
Andes to the south. Since southern objects always culminate above the pole
at some time of the year, they can be observed and imaged at a high enough
elevation above the horizon.
The area can best be described as semi-desert. There is only
limited tree growth. Bushes and cactus of the Echinopsis Chiloensis type abound.
