Ok, so everything is mostly back to normal computer-wise, so now I can show you Kitt Peak! Yeah!
The entrance, listing all the Universities that participate in the site.
A cleverly crafted mirror blank art work near the front gate. Heavens above and Earth below.
The start of the journey, the visitor’s center.
Appropriately, there is a Sun clock in the court yard of the visitor’s center.
Exhibits in the visitor’s center.
A great mirror size comparison of the different mirrors on display. The “table” in the lower right hand corner is actually the glass left after the hole was cut into the actual 4.5 meter mirror.
Tucson light pollution over the years. Tucson is one of the original dark sky cities and has enacted ordinances to keep it that way. It is also the home of the International Dark Sky Association.
A model of the Solar Telescope.
The real thing.
On the way to the solar telescope, we went by the well used basketball court. You can tell the astronomers that come here are very physically active.
The entrance to the solar telescope.
Official plaque of the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope.
The not so official plaque inside.
Such modern equipment! Actually, it isn’t used anymore. I think a commodore 64 has more computing power.
The control room proper.
Inside the loooooong tube.
The bottom were the sunlight bounces from the top mirror.
One of the mirrors that direct the sunlight to one of the many instruments inside.
One of the spectrographs that is used.
The tubes actually carry coolant to keep the inside, well cool.
Next tour, the 84″ telescope!
The dome. Dome, da, dome, dome!
A schematic of the 84″.
The scope at last.
The original maker of the mount.
The smallest camera on the telescope. They have a 4,000lb camera that the use sometimes. I’d hate to have to mount it.
A pictorial history of the telescope.
Some of the other telescopes (24 in all) on Kitt Peak.
Many, many, many more photos, but too many to show here. I will try to upload them all to my http://www.pinterest.com/nvantreeck site as fast as my connection will let me.
– Ex astris, scientia –
I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine. As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +
Norman