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All Spain Güímar Teide Observatory
AO Edited

Teide Observatory

A large collection of solar and night-time telescopes dot a small area on the Teide mountain range.

Güímar, Spain

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CoolCrab
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Teide Observatory   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Teide Observatory   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Teide Observatory   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Teide Observatory   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
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About

When driving across the Teide mountain range on Tenerife, visitors will mostly see nature, beautiful views, and a tiny building here and there. This almost monotonous nature and beauty are interrupted about two-thirds along the way from the south to the north, where suddenly the horizon fills up with strange, futuristic-looking white structures. These buildings are part of Teide Observatory.

Inaugurated in 1964, this was the place to study if you were an astronomer on the Canaries. However, the site became less and less useful for astronomers as time progressed, as the towns and cities around the mountain expanded and grew. This new growth also brought along so much light pollution that the observatory was almost useless during nighttime work. Astronomers moved to the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma instead, all but abandoning this excellent site. 

In the 1980s it was decided that the old observatory was too valuable to abandon. To combat light pollution, the observatory was used almost exclusively during the daytime. The first solar telescope was completed in 1989 and was known as the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) and others soon followed. 

Today, the site hosts dozens of solar telescopes of various sizes. Some are old and abandoned, others equipt with hyper-modern instruments used for cutting-edge research. Recently, smaller night-time telescopes have returned to the observatory focusing on research not impacted by light pollution.  

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Observatories Telescopes Stars Astronomy

Know Before You Go

The site is not openly accessible, but tours are organized from time to time. Check the options here. If you know any of the astronomers at the mountain, then they can also help you get in.

If you are just driving by, feel free to stop at the parking right in front of the gate and marvel at the telescopes from a slight distance. 

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CoolCrab

Published

July 19, 2021

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teide_Observatory
  • https://www.iac.es/en/observatorios-de-canarias/teide-observatory/visits
Teide Observatory
Carr. del Observatorio del Teide
Güímar, 38591
Spain
28.297943, -16.510359
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Nearby Places

The GREGOR Mirror

Las Cañadas del Teide, Spain

miles away

Pyramids of Guimar

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miles away

Mount Teide

Tenerife, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Güímar

Güímar

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Places 2

Nearby Places

The GREGOR Mirror

Las Cañadas del Teide, Spain

miles away

Pyramids of Guimar

Güímar, Spain

miles away

Mount Teide

Tenerife, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Güímar

Güímar

Spain

Places 2

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