School of Science

GoChile – The First Slovenian Telescope in Chile

Since April 2021, Slovenia has its own telescope in Chile: the GoChile telescope. The rich southern sky is now within our reach - just a few clicks away.

What Is GoChile?

GoChile actually consists of two remotely operated telescopes mounted on a single mount. The project began as an educational, non-profit initiative of the University of Nova Gorica and Spika, an astronomy magazine. It has since evolved into an open platform for educational astronomical observations, guided by the principles of open science and administered by the University of Nova Gorica.

The GoChile platform is used by physics and astrophysics students at the School of Science of the University of Nova Gorica, as well as by high school students and amateur astronomers. Through hands-on work with the telescope, students gain practical experience in observational astronomy and learn how to design and carry out astronomy projects under professional supervision.

The smaller refractor telescope, GoT2, with an aperture of 76 mm, is primarily used for astrophotography. The larger Ritchey–Chrétien telescope, GoT1, with a 400 mm aperture, is suitable for deeper and more detailed observations, as well as for student and research projects. With this telescope, it is possible to study objects such as variable stars, galaxies, exoplanets, nebulae, stellar clusters, transients like supernovae, and Solar System objects.

El Sauce Observatory, Chile

The Chilean Andes are among the best locations in the world for astronomical observations. Dry and stable weather provides more than 300 clear nights per year—about six times the Slovenian average. Far from city lights, the night sky is exceptionally dark, enabling observations of very faint celestial objects. In addition, the clear and dry air ensures excellent image sharpness. It is therefore no surprise that Chile hosts some of the world’s most advanced professional observatories, including the ESO Very Large Telescope, Gemini South, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

The GoChile telescope is hosted at El Sauce Observatory in Chile, located in the Río Hurtado Valley at an altitude of 1,525 m. The site enjoys around 300 clear nights per year, with average seeing between 1.5″ and 2.0″. These excellent sky conditions allow the telescopes at El Sauce Observatory to reach their full potential and deliver outstanding results.

Observatory details in short:

People behind GoChile

  • prof. dr. Andreja Gomboc – project leader
  • Matej Mihelčič, observational and technical support
    Both Andreja and Matej are initiators and key contributors to the design and setup of GoChile.
  • Andrej Guštin, observations coordinator
  • prof. dr. Samo Stanič, upgrade coordinator

GoChile is hosted at El Sauce Observatory in Chile, located in the Río Hurtado Valley at an altitude of 1,525 m.