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| Observatory code | 303  |
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| Location | Mérida, Venezuela |
| Coordinates | 8°47′11″N70°52′19″W / 8.78639°N 70.87189°W /8.78639; -70.87189 |
| Altitude | 3,600 m (11,800 ft) |
| Established | 1970 |
| Website | cida |
.svg)  Location of Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory | |
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TheLlano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory (Spanish:OAN de Llano del Hato, orObservatorio Astronómico Nacional de Llano del Hato,code:303) is anastronomical observatory inVenezuela. It is 3600 meters abovesea level and is the country's main observatory. It is situated above the village of Llano del Hato in the VenezuelanAndes, not far fromApartaderos which lies about 50 kilometers north-east ofMérida,Mérida State.
This facility is the closest major optical observatory to theequator lying at 8 degrees and 47.51 minutes north. It therefore has access to most parts of both the northern and southern skies. It benefits from a very dark site, and its altitude of 3,600 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level means atmospheric turbulence is greatly reduced.
The observatory is under the auspices of theCentro de Investigaciones de Astronomia (CIDA), the main astronomical research body in Venezuela. CIDA conducts many projects in collaboration with other research organizations, academic institutions and international bodies. It also conducts valuable research in its own right and has a record that includes several important discoveries.
There are four largeoptical telescopes, each in its owncupola or dome: a 1-m AskaniaSchmidt camera (one of the largest telescopes of this type in the world), a 65-cmZeissrefractor, a 1-m Zeissreflector and a 50-cm Askania doubleastrograph. These instruments were acquired by the Venezuelan government 1954 and installed at Llano del Hato in early 1955. The observatory also has a museum and exhibition centre where visitors can learn about the work of the observatory and CIDA as well asastronomy in general.
TheQuasar Equatorial Survey Team (QUEST) project is a joint venture betweenYale University,Indiana University, and CIDA to photographically survey the sky. It now uses the 48 inch (1.22-m) apertureSamuel Oschin telescope at thePalomar Observatory with adigital camera, an array of 112charge-coupled devices. Previously, it used the 1.0-metre Schmidt telescope of the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory.
At OAN de Llano del Hato, Mérida, a total of 50 minor planets have been discovered and credited to the astronomersOrlando Naranjo,Jürgen Stock,Ignacio Ferrín andCarlos Leal:[1]
| 9357 Venezuela | 11 January 1992 | list[A] |
| (9605) 1992 AP3 | 11 January 1992 | list[A] |
| 10344 Llanodelhato | 12 February 1992 | list[A][B] |
| (11089) 1994 CS8 | 8 February 1994 | list[A] |
| 11193 Mérida | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 12359 Cajigal | 22 September 1993 | list[A] |
| 12360 Unilandes | 22 September 1993 | list[A] |
| 12366 Luisapla | 8 February 1994 | list[A] |
| 12367 Ourinhos | 8 February 1994 | list[A] |
| 12758 Kabudari | 22 September 1993 | list[A] |
| (14005) 1993 SO3 | 22 September 1993 | list[A] |
| (14918) 1994 BP4 | 21 January 1994 | list[A] |
| 15050 Heddal | 12 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 15453 Brasileirinhos | 12 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (16565) 1992 CZ1 | 12 February 1992 | list[A][B] |
| 16645 Aldalara | 22 September 1993 | list[A] |
| 17494 Antaviana | 11 January 1992 | list[A] |
| (17873) 1998 XO96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (23501) 1992 CK1 | 12 February 1992 | list[A][B] |
| (29691) 1998 XH96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (29692) 1998 XE97 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (31384) 1998 XE96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (31385) 1998 XF96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (35678) 1998 XW96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 38628 Huya | 10 March 2000 | list[C] |
| (48565) 1994 CA9 | 8 February 1994 | list[A] |
| (49430) 1998 XZ96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (56065) 1998 XB97 | 12 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (59151) 1998 XK96 | 12 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (66189) 1998 XA97 | 12 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 74400 Streaky | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 79864 Pirituba | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 79889 Maloka | 8 January 1999 | list[A] |
| (91210) 1998 XS96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| (96609) 1999 AQ35 | 9 January 1999 | list[A] |
| (120997) 1998 XT96 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 127870 Vigo | 24 March 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 128166 Carora | 27 August 2003 | list[C][D] |
| (137096) 1998 XG97 | 11 December 1998 | list[A] |
| 149528 Simónrodríguez | 24 March 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 159776 Eduardoröhl | 2 May 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 161278 Cesarmendoza | 24 March 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 189310 Polydamas | 3 January 2006 | list[C] |
| 196476 Humfernandez | 2 May 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 201497 Marcelroche | 2 May 2003 | list[C][D] |
| (237422) 1999 AF35 | 9 January 1999 | list[A] |
| 347940 Jorgezuluaga | 30 March 2003 | list[C][D] |
| 366272 Medellín | 30 March 2003 | list[C][D] |
| (368628) 2004 UJ10 | 20 October 2004 | list[E] |
| (423624) 2005 WZ156 | 27 November 2005 | list[C] |
| Co-discovery made with: AO. A. Naranjo BJ. Stock CI. R. Ferrín DC. Leal E anomaly inMPC's data base as discovery observation was made byA84 in Turkey | ||
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