First Arab astronomical observatory under way

By Wagdy Sawahel. Algeria is building the first astronomical observatory of its kind in the Maghreb region and the Arab world. The major observatory in Tamanrasset, which is located in the desert of the Hoggar region nearly 2,000 kilometres south of the capital Algiers, will be opened in 2019.
Based at the Centre for Research in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics, the observatory has been initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research as a part of the national strategy for research and technology development, according to a 9 April report from the Algeria Press Service, or APS.
The astronomical observatory is being set up in collaboration with France's Cote d'Azur Observatory, said APS. Read more...