Abstract: The moduli space of magnetic monopoles of charge $k$ on $\bbR^3,$ for the gauge group $\SU(2),$ is a smooth, non-compact, hyperkaehler manifold of dimension $4k.$ To approach the Hodge theory (Sen conjecture) and other analytic properties of this space the asymptotic behaviour of the metric is described in terms of a compactification, introducing idealized monopole data. I will discuss how this in turn is closely related to asymptotic translations and quantization of configuration spaces. Based in part on joint work with Chris Kottke and Michael Singer.