Calar Alto. Astronomical centre -Almería-Spain AUTOR Salvador Margarit,

Abstract

The Basic Agreement of Cooperation in Scientific Research and Technological development signed by the Spanish and West German governments in 1970, served as a framework for the agreement signed in 1972 by the National Astronomical Commission and the Max-Planck Society, for the setting up of the «Spanish-German Astronomical Centre». Construction work was started in 1973 on the Calar-Alto (2,168 m), the highest point in the Sierra de los Filabres in the province of Almería. At present the last of the domed buildings, which is intented to accommodate a 3.5 m diameter Telescope and should go into operation in 1983, is at the completion stage. By this date all work will have been completed, with four domed buildings for telescopes of different sizes and the buildings for laboratory, living quarters, services and workshops needed for the use of the scientific instruments. The 1.52 m diameter National Astronomical Observatory telescope has been installed in a separate building beside the infrastructure of the Spanish-German Astronomical Centre.