The following interactive map shows the top 50 highest astronomical observatories. The data was pulled from Wikipedia found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_astronomical_observatories and copied into .xlsx format and the imported into R as a dataframe called highest. Latitude and longitude from the original data were converted to decimal equivalent for use by the mapping function.
# Library loading
library(kableExtra)
library(leaflet)
library(dplyr)The following interactive map shows the top 50 highest astronomical observatories. Tooltips have been added to show specific information about each site.
# Creating the popup information
highest<-highest%>%mutate(popup_info=paste(observatory,"<br />",location,"<br />",type,"<br />", "Elevation ",elevation,"<br />", "Established ",est))
colors <- c("darkgrey","blue")
pal<-colorFactor(colors,highest$elevation)
# Creating the leaflet map
leaflet()%>%addTiles()%>%
addCircleMarkers(data=highest,lng= ~long,lat= ~lat,popup=~popup_info,radius=~3,color= ~pal(elevation))The following is a scrollable table which shows the data used in this project.
# Creating a scrolling table
highest %>%
select(observatory,site,location,lat_long,type,est,elevation) %>%
kable(escape = F, format="html") %>%
kable_styling(bootstrap_options = c("striped","condensed","responsive"),font_size=12, full_width = F)%>%
scroll_box(width = "900px", height = "250px") | observatory | site | location | lat_long | type | est | elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) | Cerro Chajnantor | Atacama Desert, Chile | 22°59′12″S 67°44′32″W | Optical, infrared | 2009 | 5,640 m (18,500 ft) |
| Chacaltaya Astrophysical Observatory | Chacaltaya | Andes, Bolivia | 16°21′12″S 68°07′53″W | Cosmic ray, gamma ray | 1946 | 5,230 m (17,160 ft) |
| James Ax Observatory | Cerro Toco | Atacama Desert, Chile | 22°57′30″S 67°47′10″W | Microwave | 2011 | 5,200 m (17,100 ft) |
| Atacama Cosmology Telescope | Cerro Toco | Atacama Desert, Chile | 22°57′31″S 67°47′16″W | Microwave | 2007 | 5,190 m (17,030 ft) |
| Llano de Chajnantor Observatory | Llano de Chajnantor | Atacama Desert, Chile | 23°01′22″S 67°45′17″W | Millimeter wave, submillimeter | 1999 | 5,104 m (16,745 ft) |
| Shiquanhe Observatory (NAOC Ali Observatory) | Shiquanhe, Ngari Plateau | Tibet Autonomous Region, China | 32°19′N 80°01′E | Optical | 2011 | 5,100 m (16,700 ft) |
| Large Latin American Millimeter Array (LLAMA) | Alto de Chorillos | Salta, Argentina | 24°11′31″S 66°28′29″W | Submillimeter | Under Construction | 4,825 m (15,830 ft) |
| Llano de Chajnantor Observatory | Pampa La Bola | Atacama Desert, Chile | 22°58′17″S 67°42′10″W | Submillimeter | 2002 | 4,800 m (15,700 ft) |
| Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano | Sierra Negra | Puebla, Mexico | 18°59′06″N 97°18′53″W | Microwave | 2006 | 4,580 m (15,030 ft) |
| Indian Astronomical Observatory | Mount Saraswati[13] | Hanle, Ladakh, India | 32°46′46″N 78°57′51″E | Infrared, gamma ray, Optical | 2001 | 4,500 m (14,800 ft) |
| Meyer-Womble Observatory | Mount Evans | Colorado, United States | 39°35′12″N 105°38′24″W | Optical, Infrared | 1996 | 4,312 m (14,147 ft) |
| Yangbajing International Cosmic Ray Observatory | Yangbajain | Tibet Autonomous Region, China | 30°05′N 90°33′E | Cosmic ray | 1990 | 4,300 m (14,100 ft) |
| Mauna Kea Observatory | Mauna Kea | Hawaii, United States | 19°49′28″N 155°28′24″W | Optical, infrared, submillimeter | 1967 | 4,190 m (13,750 ft) |
| High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-Ray Observatory | Sierra Negra | Puebla, Mexico | 18°59′40″N 97°18′33″W | Gamma ray | 2013 | 4,100 m (13,500 ft) |
| Barcroft Observatory | White Mountain Peak | California, United States | 37°35′19″N 118°14′31″W | Infrared, millimeter wave | 1976 | 3,890 m (12,760 ft) |
| Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), Mauna Kea Site | Mauna Kea | Hawaii, United States | 19°48′05″N 155°27′20″W | Radio telescope | 1986 | 3,730 m (12,240 ft) |
| Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory | Llano del Hato | Andes, Venezuela | 8°47′11″N 70°52′19″W | Optical telescope | 1970s | 3,600 m (11,800 ft) |
| Iranian National Observatory | Mount Gargash | Isfahan, Iran | 33°40′27″N 51°19′07″E | Optical telescope | 2010s | 3,600 m (11,800 ft) |
| Sphinx Observatory | Jungfraujoch | Bernese Alps, Switzerland | 46°32′51″N 7°59′6″E | Optical telescope | 1937 | 3,571 m (11,716 ft) |
| Mauna Loa Observatory | Mauna Loa | Hawaii, United States | 19°32′10″N 155°34′34″W | Optical, millimeter wave | 1957 | 3,394 m (11,135 ft) |
| Magdalena Ridge Observatory | South Baldy | New Mexico, United States | 33°58′36″N 107°11′05″W | Optical, infrared | 1999 | 3,230 m (10,600 ft) |
| Mount Graham International Observatory | Mount Graham | Arizona, United States | 32°42′05″N 109°53′31″W | Optical, submillimeter | 1993 | 3,191 m (10,469 ft) |
| Gornergrat Observatory | Gornergrat | Pennine Alps, Switzerland | 45°59′04″N 7°47′09″E | Infrared, submillimeter | 1967 | 3,135 m (10,285 ft) |
| Peak Terskol Observatory | Peak Terskol | North Caucasus, Russia | 43°16′29″N 42°30′03″E | Optical | 1980 | 3,127 m (10,259 ft) |
| European Extremely Large Telescope | Cerro Armazones | Atacama Desert, Chile | 24°35′20″S 70°11′32″W | Optical, near infrared | Not completed | 3,060 m (10,040 ft) |
| Haleakala Observatory | Haleakala | Hawaii, United States | 20°42′30″N 156°15′27″W | Optical, millimeter wave | 1964 | 3,036 m (9,961 ft) |
| Sierra Nevada Observatory | Sierra Nevada | Granada, Spain | 37°03′51″N 03°23′05″W | Optical | 1981 | 2,896 m (9,501 ft) |
| Pic du Midi Observatory | Pic du Midi de Bigorre | Pyrenees, France | 42°56′11″N 00°08′34″E | Optical, solar | 1878 | 2,877 m (9,439 ft) |
| Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory | South Pole | East Antarctic Ice Sheet, Antarctica | 90°00′S 139°16′W | Microwave, millimeter, neutrino, submillimeter | 1994 | 2,835 m (9,301 ft) |
| Cerro Armazones Observatory | Cerro Armazones | Atacama Desert, Chile | 24°35′54″S 70°12′04″W | Optical telescope | 1995 | 2,817 m (9,242 ft) |
| National Astronomical Observatory (Mexico) | Sierra de San Pedro Mártir | Baja California, Mexico | 31°02′39″N 115°27′49″W | Optical telescope | 1967 | 2,800 m (9,200 ft) |
| Apache Point Observatory | Sacramento Peak | New Mexico, United States | 32°46′49″N 105°49′13″W | Optical, solar | 1984 | 2,788 m (9,147 ft) |
| Cerro Pachón | Cerro Pachón | Atacama Desert, Chile | 30°14′27″S 70°44′12″W | Optical, infrared | 2000 | 2,722 m (8,930 ft) |
| National Astronomical Observatory (Colombia) | Metropolitan Area of Bogotá | Bogotá, Colombia | 04°35′46″N 74°04′39″W | Optical telescope | 1803 | 2,640 m (8,660 ft) |
| Paranal Observatory | Cerro Paranal | Atacama Desert, Chile | 24°37′38″S 70°24′15″W | Optical, infrared | 1999 | 2,635 m (8,645 ft) |
| Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory | Mount Hopkins | Arizona, United States | 31°40′52″N 110°52′42″W | Optical, gamma ray | 1966 | 2,606 m (8,550 ft) |
| Roque de los Muchachos Observatory | Roque de los Muchachos | La Palma, Canary Islands | 28°46′N 17°53′W | Optical, infrared, solar, gamma ray | 1979 | 2,396 m (7,861 ft) |
| Teide Observatory | Pico del Teide | Tenerife, Canary Islands | 28°18′00″N 16°30′35″W | Optical, solar, microwave | 1964 | 2,390 m (7,840 ft) |
| La Silla Observatory | La Silla | Atacama Desert, Chile | 29°15′15″S 70°44′22″W | Optical telescope | 1969 | 2,380 m (7,810 ft) |
| Las Campanas Observatory | Cerro Las Campanas | Atacama Desert, Chile | 29°00′54″S 70°41′32″W | Optical telescope | 1971 | 2,380 m (7,810 ft) |
| Lowell Observatory | Flagstaff | Arizona, United States | 35°12′10″N 111°39′52″W | Optical telescope | 1894 | 2,210 m (7,250 ft) |
| Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory | Cerro Tololo | Atacama Desert, Chile | 30°10′9″S 70°48′21″W | Optical telescope | 1967 | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Calar Alto Observatory | Calar Alto | Almería, Spain | 37°13′25″N 2°32′46″W | Optical telescope | 1975 | 2,168 m (7,113 ft) |
| Very Large Array | Plains of San Agustin | New Mexico, United States | 34°04′43″N 107°37′06″W | Radio telescope | 1975 | 2,124 m (6,969 ft) |
| Kitt Peak National Observatory | Kitt Peak | Arizona, United States | 31°57′30″N 111°35′48″W | Optical, solar, radio telescope | 1960 | 2,096 m (6,877 ft) |
| Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science | Mount Pastukhov | Caucasus Mountains, Russia | 43°38′49″N 41°26′26″E | Optical telescope | 1966 | 2,070 m (6,790 ft) |
| Yunnan Astronomical Observatory | rural Kunming, Yunnan, China | rural Kunming, Yunnan, China | 25°02′00″N 102°47′00″E | Optical telescope, Radio, Solar, Infrared | 1972 | 2,014 m (6,608 ft) |
| Mount Wilson Observatory | Mount Wilson | California, United States | 34°13′26″N 118°03′42″W | Optical, solar | 1908 | 1,742 m (5,715 ft) |
| Palomar Observatory | Palomar Mountain | California, United States | 33°21′21″N 116°51′50″W | Optical telescope | 1936 | 1,712 m (5,617 ft) |