OBSERVATORIO ASTRONÓMICO NACIONAL - TONANZINTLA PUEBLA

The Tonantzintla Observatory is located at an altitude of 2,166 m in the immediate vicinity of the municipality of Cholula, in the Puebla region. Initially located near Mexico City, it was moved in 1951 to the National Astrophysical Observatory of the Ministry of Public Education for obvious reasons of sky quality (light pollution and air pollution), under the impetus of its director, Guillermo Haro, who had been campaigning since 1948 for the rapprochement of the two sites. In 1961, this was the turning point, with the arrival of a large diameter telescope (1 m) with the most modern characteristics. It is with this instrument that most of the observations have been made since then. A few years later, it became necessary to install a telescope with an even larger diameter... The only problem was that the Tonantzintla site no longer seemed to be good enough for such a company. And it is the site of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir that was finally chosen for this establishment. The Tonantzintla Observatory is not the easiest place for tourists to visit. It is necessary to show white paw and especially to do it long enough in advance to obtain the necessary authorizations for his visit. On the spot, among the instruments to be discovered, let us note above all the presence of what Mexicans affectionately call the Carta del cielo, a very original photographic bezel built in 1891! It was placed inside the photographic plates while its 33 cm lens focused the light from the most distant celestial objects. When you make your request for the visit, do not hesitate to ask yourself that access to this instrument is on the program.