Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía

Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía (AAAA, A.A.A.A. or asaramas; the Argentine Association of the Friends of Astronomy; obs&thinsp;code: 834) is an amateur astronomy civil association based on Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the aim of spreading astronomy. It was founded on January 4, 1929 and its field courses are held on related subjects, research in collaboration with professional bodies and printed publications or multimedia, and recreational activities for the general public. The main-belt asteroid 4756 Asaramas was named in honor of the observatory.

Instrumental and equipment


The equipment of the entity is available to both partners and research groups. It includes several Reflecting and Refractor Telescopes of various types and sizes, a small astrograph, optical tools and machinery for the construction and optical polishing of telescopes.

Gautier telescope
The Gautier telescope is an old refractor telescope with 220 mm of diameter and 3.300 mm of focal length. It was built by the French company Gautier House, on behalf of the Paris Observatory and transferred to Argentina in 1882 on the occasion of the extraordinary event of the transit of Venus of December 6, 1882.

Awards and distinctions
On April 21, 1950, astronomers of the La Plata Astronomical Observatory discovered an asteroid that they baptized 4756 Asaramas – Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía –, for having provided this institution the first contact of numerous professional astronomers of the platense observatory with astronomical science. The name was later homologated and by the International Astronomical Union on 1 September 1993 (M.P.C. 22503).