THE KITT PEAK OBSERVATORY IS ON THE TOP OF THIS MOUNTAIN OVER 50 MILES WEST OF TUCSON |
THIS SIGN GREETS ALL VISITORS TO KITT PEAK AS ONE TURNS OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY |
IT IS AN ELEVEN MILE CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN |
WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE PEAK. THE SWITCH BACKS AND DROPOFFS WERE AMAZING. |
THIS IS NO PLACE TO LOSE YOUR GRIP ON THE WHEEL OF YOUR CAR |
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD NEVER GET TO THE PEAK |
HOW DID THEY EVER BUILD THIS ROAD? |
WE FINALLY NEARED THE SUMMIT AT 6875 FT ABOVE THE SONORAN DESERT FLOOR |
WE ARE ALMOST THERE AND OUR LITTLE CONVERTIBLE IS GASPING |
THE FINAL SET OF TURNS......... |
WE HAD ARRIVED AT THE WORLD FAMOUS KITT NATIONAL OBSERVATORY |
THE KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY IS SPONSORED BY SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND UNIVERSITIES |
THIS IS A MAP OF THE GROUNDS AND VARIOUS INSTALLATIONS AT KITT PEAK |
SARA ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW BIRDS SPOTS A WESTERN SCRUB JAY THAT FOLLOWED US UP THE MOUNTAIN |
A QUICK TRIP TO THE RESTROOM REVEALED BLACKOUTS ON THE WINDOWS, A HECK OF A FLUSH TO THE TOILET AND HEAT, GLORIOUS HEAT... |
DON IN THE PARKING LOT WITH THE DOME OF THE 2.1 METER TELESCOPE IN THE BACKGROUND |
THE DOME OF THE "BIG BOY" , THE MAYALL 4 METER LOOMED ABOVE US |
A SHOT OF THE MAYALL FROM THE HILL NEARBY |
THIS IS THE ACTUAL MAYALL 4 METER TELESCOPE |
THIS IS THE NICE WARM AND COMFORTABLE CONTROL ROOM OF THE MAYALL TELESCOPE |
THIS IS THE WIYN 3.5 METER TELESCOPE |
THIS PLAQUE DESCRIBES THE WIYN TELESCOPE |
THE ACTUAL WIYN TELESCOPE WITH ITS "FLEXIBLE" PRIMARY MIRROR |
THE MCMATH-PIERCE SOLAR TELESCOPE |
A VIEW FROM THE TOP OF KIT PEAK FACING NORTH TOWARD PHOENIX |
VIEW FROM KITT PEAK FACING EAST TOWARD TUCSON |
ANOTHER VIEW FROM KITT PEAK FACING THE EAST TOWARD TUCSON |
KITT PEAK IS NAMED AFTER THE SISTER (PHILIPPA KITT) OF PIMA COUNTY SURVEYOR GEORGE ROSKRUGE IN 1874 |
THIS IS SARA STANDING IN FRONT OF A CONCRETE MODEL OF THE 4 METER, 15 TON MAYHALL PRIMARY MIRROR |
DON IN FRONT OF THE SAME MODEL OF THE MAYALL MIRROR |
THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL MURAL ON THE FRONT OF THE KITT PEAK VISITOR CENTER |
THE MURAL WAS DONE BY A NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST AND FILLED WITH ASTRONOMICAL SYMBOLS |
A PICNIC AREA IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER |
SARA CHECKED OUT THE MANY DISPLAYS INSIDE THE VISITOR'S CENTER |
EACH VISITOR TO KITT PEAK IS GREETED BY THESE INSPIRATIONAL WORDS BY A FAMOUS ASTRONOMER |
THIS DISPLAY INSIDE THE VISITOR'S CENTER SHOWS SUNRISE AND SUNSET ACROSS THE GLOBE MINUTE BY MINUTE |
THIS DISPLAY SHOWS THE INCREASE IN LIGHT POLLUTION FROM 1959 T0 2003 |
THE GIFT SHOP AT THE VISITOR'S CENTER WAS FILLED WITH KITT PEAK MEMORABILIA AND ASTRONOMY EQUIPMENT |
THE NATIVE AMERICAN ART OF THE TOHONO TRIBE OF THE O'ODHAM WAS BEAUTIFUL AND EXPENSIVE |
THIS IS THE PLUG CUT OUT OFTHE CENTER OF THE PRIMARY MIRROR OF THE 15 TON MAYALL TELESCOPE |
PLUG HAD SEVERAL BUBBLES IN IT BUT REMEMBER THE LIGHT DOESN'T PASS THRU IT BUT IS REFLECTED BACK BY THE MIRROR COATED SURFACE |
THIS IS ONE OF THE GIANT MIRROR "BLANKS" PRODUCED AT THE STEWARD MIRROR LAB UNDER THE STADIUM AT UA IN TUCSON |
THIS PICTURE SHOWS THE MASSIVE OVEN THAT SPINS WHILE PRODUCING MIRRORS AT HIGH TEMPERATURE |
HERE IS A FINISHED "BLANK" MIRROR BEFORE IT IS GROUND, COATED AND POLISHED |
THIS SIGN MARKED THE TRAIL UP TO THE EVENING SUNSET AND THE SARA TELESCOPE |
A PICTURE OF THE WIYN TELESCOPE AT SUNSET |
THE VIEW FROM KITT PEAK AS THE SUNSET ARRIVES |
THE MAYALL TELESCOPE AT SUNSET |
THIS WAS OUR GROUP READY TO WATCH THE SUN GO DOWN UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE SARA TELESCOPE |
IT WAS VERY, VERY COLD AND WINDY UNDER THE WEATHER STATION |
EARLY SUNSET LOOKING TO THE WEST |
AS THE SUN DECLINED THE SKY BEGAN TO GLOW |
AT THIS STAGE THE SUN IS ACTUALLY BELOW THE HORIZON BUT DUE TO THE BENDING OF THE LIGHT YOU CAN STILL SEE IT |
THE SARA TELESCOPE WITH ITS DOME DOOR DOWN, COOLED AND WAITING FOR OUR VISIT |
SARA ABSOLUTELY LOVED HAVING A TELESCOPE AT KITT PEAK NAMED AFTER HER |
A PAST VISITOR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN LEFT ONE OF THOSE FAMOUS FLAMINGOS AT THE SARA TELESCOPE |
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN FROM JUST BELOW THE SARA TELESCOPE AS IT PEERED OUT THE SLIT IN THE DOME |
THE FLAPS AT THE END OF THE SARA TELESCOPE CLOSE TO KEEP DEBRIS (LIKE BIRD POOP) OUT OF THE TELESCOPE WHEN NOT IN USE |
THE SARA TELESCOPE IS A REMOTE CONTROLLED FACILITY-NOTICE THE ROMOTE CAMERAS ON THE DOME WALLS |
THE HUGE ARM SUPPORTS THE TELESCOPE AND IS COUNTER BALANCED BY A HUGE WEIGHT |
NOTICE THE HUGE COUNTER BALANCE WEIGHT AT THE LOWER RIGHT |
THIS IS THE "WORKING END" OF THE SARA TELESCOPE WITH ALL ITS SENSORS, CAMERAS AND COMPUTER CONTROLLERS |
THE SIGN SAYS "OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE LARGER THAN THEY APPEAR"-ASTRONOMY HUMOR!!!! |
DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES JUST HAD TO LEAVE THEIR SCHOOL SYMBOLS ON THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE SARA'S DOME FOR THE REMOTE CAMERAS |
EVEN NOAO HAD TO LEAVE ITS MARK-THIS TIME ON THE SIDE OF A KITT PEAK VEHICLE |
OUR GUIDE WAS GREAT AND ANSWERED ALL OUR QUESTIONS |
LEAVING THE SARA TELESCOPE WE WERE FREEZING-GUESS WHO FORGOT TO BRING A WARM HAT |
SARA AND DON IN FRONT OF THE INFRA RED CAMERA AND SCREEN BACK AT THE VISITOR CENTER-BLACK IS COLD AND WHITE IS WARM |
THIS IS A PLANET AND STAR LOCATOR ON SALE AT THE VISITOR CENTER GIFT SHOP |
A CLOSE UP OF ANOTHER LOCATOR-THEY REALLY WORK AFTER YOU LOCATE THE NORTH STAR |
THIS IS THE VISITOR CENTER TELESCOPE WE USED DURING OUR VISIT TO KITT PEAK |
THESE LITTLE PEN LIGHTS WITH THEIR RED LIGHT WERE USED TO FIND OUR WAY OUT TO THE VISITOR CENTER TELESCOPE |
THIS IS ALGIEBA, A BINARY STAR AT 126 LIGHT YEARS AWAY AS SEEN THROUGH THE TELESCOPE |
THIS IS M51 WHIRLPOOL GALAXY-CAN YOU SEE THE SPIRAL ARMS |
THIS THE M3 CLUSTER OF A HALF A MILLION STARS |
SATURN AS SEEN THROUGH THE VISITOR TELESCOPE |
NOW FOR A REAL LOOK AT SATURN FROM THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE OUT IN SPACE-WOW |
LOOK AT THE DETAIL IN THE RINGS-EMPRESSED???? |
WELL HOW ABOUT THIS VIEW FROM THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE!!!!!! |
THIS WAS THE VIEW FROM THE FRONT WINDOW OF OUR CAR AS WE LEFT THE TOP OF KITT PEAK-DOES THIS GUY KNOW WHERE HE IS GOING???????? |