Off to Kitt Peak National Observatory!

This weekend, I will be reuniting with my fellow Astronomy in Chile Education Ambassadors at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tuscon Arizona. I am very excited to see these wonderful educators again, and to spend time among the telescopes and stars!

Kitt Peak National Observatory is home to many telescopes. Image Source

This visit is a continuation of the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador Program that I have been privileged to be a part of since 2015. In June of 2015, I visited three National Science Foundation funded observatories, high on the Andes mountains in Chile. In return for my visit, I taught Central Illinois all about them. You can read my blogs, full of pictures, on the visits here. 

My favorite place in Chile, CTIO.

This weekend, I will be reuniting with the astronomy educators I went to Chile with, and meeting the cohort that went to the telescopes in 2016. We will be working on some ongoing projects to teach people about the fantastic telescopes that the National Science Foundation funds, and touring the telescopes at Kitt Peak. Of course, I will be taking Central Illinois along with me, sharing pictures and stories on this blog, and pictures on Facebook and Twitter.  

The many scopes of Kitt Peak. Image Source

Kitt Peak is on the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona desert, on Tohono O'odham Nation land, leased under perpetual agreement. 24 radio telescopes dot the mountain top, and two radio telescopes. It is operated by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which also operates CTIO in Chile. NOAO works closely with the leadership of the Tohono O'odham nation to treat the land with respect. 

Nicholas U. Mayall 4 meter telescope. Image Source

One of the principle telescopes on Kitt Peak is the Mayall 4 meter optical telescope. It is identical to the Blanco Telescope that we saw on CTIO in Chile, which is now outfitted with the Dark Energy Camera. I am sure we will learn more about what the Mayall is currently observing this weekend! 

McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. Image Source

Also on Kitt Peak is the 1.5 meter McMath-Pierce reflecting solar telescope, the largest telescope of its kind in the world. 

We'll be spending three nights up on the mountain, so I hope to have a chance to do some astrophotography! I'll be sure to share more information about the telescopes on Kitt Peak, and what work astronomers are doing with them now. Check back on this blog or Peoria's Dome Planetarium on Facebook for further updates!