# USACH Spectral Monitoring Station, Chile: what it is and when to go > USACH Spectral Monitoring Station is an observatory (Estación de Monitoreo Espectral USACH) in Chile (Toconao). Interests: Stargazing. The best time to visit is May to September. In December there are 13 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 36. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/usach-spectral-monitoring-station/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Observatory · Stargazing - **Local name:** Estación de Monitoreo Espectral USACH - **Where:** Chile · San Pedro de Atacama - **You can go:** May to September. - **Nearest airport:** CJC Calama, 126 km as the crow flies - **Run by:** Univesidad de Santiago de Chile - **Coordinates:** -22.94792, -67.77385 ## What it is and where USACH Spectral Monitoring Station is an observatory (Estación de Monitoreo Espectral USACH) in Chile (Toconao). It is in [Toconao](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/toconao/), where this site lists 10 more places to see, 36 km from the centre. Its coordinates are -22.94792, -67.77385; the nearest main airport is El Loa Airport (CJC, Calama), 126 km as the crow flies. How to get around Chile (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-22.947916%2C-67.773849) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-22.947916%2C-67.773849) - **Run by:** Univesidad de Santiago de Chile It is one of the [Stargazing](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/estrellas/) places in Chile. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go Months when you can visit USACH Spectral Monitoring Station: **May to September**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Better not | 13 h 16 | | February | Better not | 12 h 46 | | March | Better not | 12 h 10 | | April | Better not | 11 h 28 | | May | Possible | 10 h 54 | | June | Possible | 10 h 36 | | July | Possible | 10 h 43 | | August | Possible | 11 h 12 | | September | Possible | 11 h 52 | | October | Better not | 12 h 33 | | November | Better not | 13 h 08 | | December | Better not | 13 h 24 | In December there are 13 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 36. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Chile in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Chile To enter Chile there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Book domestic flights and Torres del Paine places”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Chile checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Chilean peso (CLP); plugs: Type C and L · 220 V · 50 Hz (the Spanish two-pin plug usually works); emergencies: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire brigade. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Cerro Toco](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-toco/): Mountain in Chile · 243 m - [University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/university-of-tokyo-atacama-observatory-tao/): Observatory · 5.3 km - [Atacama Large Millimeter Array](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/atacama-large-millimeter-array-science-preserve/): 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile · 6.9 km - [NANTEN2 observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/nanten2-observatory/): Observatory · 7.7 km - [Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/atacama-submillimeter-telescope-experiment/): Radio astronomy telescope · 7.7 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/). ## More in Chile: Stargazing - [Paranal Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/observatorio-paranal/): astronomical observatory in the Atacama Desert - [Cerro El Roble](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-el-roble/) - [San Cristóbal Hill Wine Bar](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/mirador-copernicus/): restaurant in Santiago de Chile - [Observatorio Cerro Mamalluca](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/observatorio-cerro-mamalluca/): Observatory - [Chilean Planetary](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/planetario-chile/): cultural center - [Amalia](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/amalia/): Observatory Every Chile place under Stargazing, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/estrellas/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is USACH Spectral Monitoring Station? It is an observatory (Estación de Monitoreo Espectral USACH in the local language) in Chile. ### When is the best time to visit USACH Spectral Monitoring Station? May to September. In December there are 13 h 24 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 36. ### How do you get to USACH Spectral Monitoring Station? The nearest main airport is El Loa Airport (CJC), 126 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-22.947916%2C-67.773849) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Chile is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Chile map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Cerro Toco](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-toco/), [University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/university-of-tokyo-atacama-observatory-tao/), [Atacama Large Millimeter Array](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/atacama-large-millimeter-array-science-preserve/). The rest is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/12167184570), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).