K. Vivas Abstract History

Jürgen Stock: From One End of the Andes to the Other

K. Vivas (Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía)

Celebrating the origins of CTIO makes me think, inevitably, about the beginnings of professional astronomy in my country, Venezuela. Two events that seem completely unrelated. Two places separated by several thousand of miles, though still in the same majestic Andean mountains, have indeed a common origin: Jürgen Stock.  Dr. Stock explored our mountains, in Chile and Venezuela and found the right place for CTIO as well as for the Venezuelan National Observatory of Llano del Hato. He was in charge of the installation of the telescopes in both places, and was first director of both observatories. The experiences and learning of the first years of Tololo had with no doubt influence on the installation of the only professional observatory in Venezuela. Thus, it is, somehow, part of the legacy of Tololo.  In this talk, I will point out anecdotes that describe the times of Jürgen Stock in those early days of exploring mountains in Chile, and how he then did the same at the other end of the Andes.