From 1959 to 1980 it was a major site for scientific research, though since then it has been facing severe light pollution problems resulting in its gradual conversion into a public observatory, especially after the establishment of the Visitor Center there in 1995.

Plakidis decided that the Koufos hill in Penteli, on the side of Mount Pentelicus at an altitude of 500 metres (1,600 ft), was a more suitable location.

However, during the Axis occupation of Greece in World War II that started a few years after its establishment, the station was under performing, being used only for the collection of meteorological data and the scarce conducting of astronomical observations.

The Newall Telescope was used solely for scientific observations until 1980, when light pollution in the area started causing severe problems.

[10] Since September 2000 the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing is also operating the Athens Digisonde in the location.

[7] The Athens Digisonde is an advanced ionosonde operated by the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing in the Penteli site since 2000.

[11] It is performing 5-minute long scheduled observations by vertically transmitting short electromagnetic pulses in the frequency range between 1 and 20 MHz, which are then received locally after their ionospheric reflection.

Using this techique, the Athens Digisonde is measuring the amplitude, virtual reflection height, Doppler shift, polarization, angle of arrival and the electron density profile of the pulses.

The Athens Digisonde is part of the European Digital upper Atmosphere Server (DIAS) and the Global Ionospheric Radio Observatory (GIRO),[13] as well as other networks.