Kitt Peak National Observatory

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Various telescopes at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) in the Quinlan Mountains
Alternative names	KPNO
Organization	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Observatory code	695
Location	Kitt Peak,Arizona, US
Coordinates	31°57′30″N111°35′48″W
Altitude	2,096 m (6,877 ft)
Observing time	260 nights per year
Established	1958
Website	noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/
Telescopes
KPNONicholas U. Mayall Telescope 4.0 mRitchey–Chrétienreflector WIYN Telescope 3.5 m Ritchey–Chrétien reflector McMath–Pierce solar telescope Unobstructed solar reflector KPNO 2.1 m Telescope Fourth largest on the mountain Coudé Feed Tower Coudé spectrograph NEID Solar Telescope Obtains disk-integrated light for a spectrograph Coronado Array Three commercially producedMeade/Coronado solar instrumentsused for public education RCT Consortium Telescope Robotically controlled WIYN 0.9 m Telescope Galactic studies SOLARIO remote telescope Astrophotography CWRU Burrell Schmidt Galactic studies SARA Observatory0.9m telescope Variable stars, undergraduate training Visitor Center telescopes Three instruments used for nightly public programs Spacewatch 1.8 m Telescope 72 in mirror scavenged from the Mount HopkinsMMT Spacewatch 0.9 m Telescope Spacewatch Super-LOTIS Designed to look for visible signatures of GRBs Auxiliary solar telescopes Two 0.9 m instruments Bok Telescope Versatile MDM Observatory1.3 m McGraw-Hill Telescope Originally at Ann Arbor MDM Observatory2.4 m Hiltner Telescope Galactic surveys ARO 12m Radio Telescope One of two telescopes operated by theArizona Radio Observatory,part ofSteward Observatory VLBA One of ten radio-telescopes forming the VLBA DIMM all-sky camera monitorsseeing
Location of Kitt Peak National Observatory
Related media on Commons

TheKitt Peak National Observatory(KPNO) is a United Statesastronomicalobservatorylocated onKitt Peakof theQuinlan Mountainsin theArizona-Sonoran Deserton theTohono Oʼodham Nation,88 kilometers (55 mi) west-southwest ofTucson, Arizona.With more than twenty optical and two radio telescopes, it is one of the largest gatherings of astronomical instruments in the Earth's northern hemisphere.

Kitt Peak National Observatory was founded in 1958.It is home to what was the largest solar telescope in the world, and many large astronomical telescopes of the late 20th century in the United States.

The observatory was administered by theNational Optical Astronomy Observatory(NOAO) from the early 1980s until 2019, after which it was overseen byNOIRLab.

In June 2022, theContreras Fireled to the evacuation of Kitt Peak. The fire reached the summit at 2 a.m. on Friday, June 17. Four non-scientific buildings, including a dormitory, were lost in the fire.As of Monday, June 20, the extent of damage to the telescopes is still being assessed.

General information

Kitt Peakwas selected by its first director,Aden B. Meinel,in 1958 as the site for a national observatory under contract with theNational Science Foundation(NSF) and was administered by theAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy.The land was leased from theTohono Oʼodhamunder a perpetual agreement. The second director (1960 to 1971) wasNicholas U. Mayall.In 1982, NOAO was formed to consolidate the management of three optical observatories — Kitt Peak; theNational Solar Observatoryfacilities at Kitt Peak andSacramento Peak,New Mexico;and theCerro Tololo Inter-American ObservatoryinChile.The observatory sites are under lease from the Tohono O'odham Nation at the amount of a quarter dollar per acre yearly, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Council in the 1950s. In 2005, the Tohono O'odham Nation brought suit against the National Science Foundation to stop further construction of gamma ray detectors in the Gardens of the Sacred Tohono O'odham Spirit I'itoi, which are just below the summit.

The largest optical instruments at KPNO are theMayall 4 meter telescopeand theWIYN3.5-meter telescope;there are also several two- and one-meter class telescopes. TheMcMath–Pierce solar telescopewas for many decadesthe largestsolar telescopein the world and the largest unobstructed reflector (no secondary mirror in the path of incoming light). TheARO 12m Radio Telescopeis also at the location.

Kitt Peak is famous for hosting the first telescope (an old 91 cm reflector) used to search fornear-Earth asteroids,and calculating the probability of an impact withplanet Earth.

Kitt Peak hosts an array of programs for the public to take part in, including:

• Daytime tours, speaking about the history of the observatory as well as touring a major research telescope.
• The Nightly Observing Program (NOP), which allows visitors to arrive in the late afternoon, watch the sunset, and use binoculars and telescopes to view the cosmos.
• Additionally, there is the Overnight Telescope Observing Program (OTOP). This program allows for a one-on-one, full night of observing using any of the visitor center's telescopes. Guests may choose to doDSLRimaging,CCDimaging, or simply take in the sights with their eye to the telescope.

The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

Kitt Peak's Southeastern Association for Research and Astronomy (SARA) Telescope was featured in the WIPB-PBS documentary, "Seeing Stars in Indiana". The project followed SARA astronomers from Ball State University to the observatory and featured time-lapse images from various points around Kitt Peak.

A major project started in the 2010s is theDark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument(DESI) for the 4-meter Mayall telescope, for conducting spectrographicastronomical surveysof distantgalaxiesprobing theexpansion history of the universeand the mysterious physics ofdark energy.

Facilities

A view of Kitt Peak showing most of the 19 research telescopes

• 
  380° panorama of Kitt Peak from theWarner and Swasey Observatory
• 
  400° panorama from Kitt Peak'sMayall 4-meter Observatory

History

Sign at Kitt Peak National Observatory

The Kitt Peak National Observatory of the United States was dedicated on March 16, 1960.At the dedication a 36-inch telescope and various facilities were ready.Construction was underway for the then planned 84 inch telescope.(i.e. the KPNO 2.1 meter)

The 84 inch (2.1 m) had its first light in September 1964.

Over the decades the mountaintop hosted many telescopes, and achieved a variety of discoveries.Some examples of astronomical research KPNO contributed to include the study ofdark matter,cosmic distances,high-redshift galaxies, and theBoötes Void.In addition, the observatory has engaged in variety of public outreach and education programs.

In 2018, KPNO established plans for itsWindows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach.

Notable discoveries

The Mayall 4-meter telescope

In 1976 the Mayall Telescope was used to discovermethaneice onPluto.

The 90 cm Spacewatch telescope was used to discover theKuiper beltbody,20000 Varunain the year 2000.This was discovered by an astronomer noticing the slow moving object in a blink comparison.

Climate

Due to its high elevation, the observatory experiences asubtropical highland climate(Cfb) with a much cooler and wetter climate throughout the year than most of theSonoran Desert.

Climate data for Kitt Peak, Arizona (Elevation 6,790ft)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	71 (22)	75 (24)	78 (26)	88 (31)	90 (32)	98 (37)	98 (37)	94 (34)	91 (33)	89 (32)	87 (31)	72 (22)	98 (37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	49.6 (9.8)	50.8 (10.4)	54.3 (12.4)	61.7 (16.5)	70.4 (21.3)	79.5 (26.4)	80.4 (26.9)	78.0 (25.6)	74.9 (23.8)	66.9 (19.4)	56.8 (13.8)	50.0 (10.0)	64.4 (18.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	33.0 (0.6)	33.6 (0.9)	35.8 (2.1)	41.3 (5.2)	49.2 (9.6)	58.5 (14.7)	60.8 (16.0)	59.8 (15.4)	57.0 (13.9)	48.6 (9.2)	39.5 (4.2)	33.7 (0.9)	45.9 (7.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−3 (−19)	−2 (−19)	9 (−13)	15 (−9)	24 (−4)	33 (1)	40 (4)	42 (6)	35 (2)	20 (−7)	12 (−11)	6 (−14)	−3 (−19)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm)	1.77 (45)	1.60 (41)	1.80 (46)	0.55 (14)	0.44 (11)	0.45 (11)	4.38 (111)	4.53 (115)	2.36 (60)	1.50 (38)	1.14 (29)	2.65 (67)	23.16 (588)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	3.0 (7.6)	4.3 (11)	4.1 (10)	1.2 (3.0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)	1.2 (3.0)	3.8 (9.7)	18.1 (46)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center

See also

• List of astronomical observatories
• List of radio telescopes
• List of telescope types
• Richard Green (astronomer)

Further reading

• Discover Magazine article about Kitt Peak, May 2005
• Kitt Peak docent training book, 2008ArchivedJune 8, 2011, at theWayback Machine

External links

• Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center– visiting and tour information
• Kitt Peak Webcam
• Kitt Peak Clear Sky ChartForecasts of observing conditions
• NOAA general forecast for KPNO
• NOAA detailed forecast for KPNO
• Observing At Kitt Peak – General Overview for Observers and Staff