Kitt Peak

We've been trying to go to Kitt Peak for over a month now, looks like today it's going to happen. It's supposed to be 92 in Tucson hoping for 70's there.  Three couples going so women in one car and men in the other.

Kitt Peak is about 3000' high close to 7000' above sea level, is 60 miles west of Tucson and is home to an astronomical observatory and the McMath Pierce solar telescopes. It is on land owned by the Tohono O'odham Nation. There it is off in the distance

We pass through a border patrol check point

Almost there

Some pretty nice views driving up the mountain. 

Getting closer!

Made it!

Cool stuff inside the Visitor's Center, made Gary flip out!

This is a diorama of the various buildings and telescopes on the Mountain

There are some petroglyphs displayed but they are enclosed in glass and there was a lot of glare making them hard to see

They are doing solar viewings today so we head down to the the Telescope.  Oops it's closed for lunch break.

We head back the cars to have a picnic to kill some time.  We enjoy the views along the way

We get back and get to see the sun.  One of the telescopes revealed the sunspots and the other one, the prominence around the sun.

Next is the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

Here is a reflection of the Sun - same as one of the view showing the sunspots that we saw from the Telescope.

This is the Telescopy from a distance.  The tunnel for the light beam and the observing rooms where the scientific work is done are underground.  It is the largest solar observatory in the world.

The 2.1 Meter Telescope

Next stop is the big Mayall 4 Meter Telescope

Surprised to see Lilacs along the way

The 4-meter (158 inch) Telescope was one of the largest optical telescopes in the world and is named for the former Director of Kitt Peak Observatory.  It stands 18 stories high.  Construction was started in 1968 and it was finished in 1970.  It weighs 500 tons and can withstand winds up to 120 mph.

 

The telescope's 15 ton primary mirror is polished to one millionth of an inch and has a reflective aluminum coating one thousandth the thickness of a human hair.


View back to the other telescopes

View of the road coming up

What a great way to beat the heat!