JEEPERS CREEPERS TRIP TO KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY APRIL 23, 2013

Seventeen members and guests made the trek to Kitt Peak National Observatory west of Tucson, following our usual format of a coffee break, pit stops and potluck lunch. No hotdogs though, as fires were not permitted at the site. It probably was too windy for a fire anyway.

Members and guests attending were the leaders, Austin and Mary Ellen Hulcher, Tom and Elsie Holz, Bruce and Ellen Kolb, Dick and Karen Weiger, Sandy Smith, Bob Lush, Sam Schartz, BrianTaylor,  Jerry and Nancy Grout with Jerry’s   sister, Janet Schuett, and Bill and Jo Strong.

Coffee break at the rest stop on I 10 north of Casa Grande

 

 

 

When we arrived at the top of the mountain, almost 7000 ft. el., we were greeted by this sign showing the universities and federal agencies whose efforts resulted in  building and operating this site, with 28 telescopes, two of which are radio telescopes. The construction began around 1958.

The last time I was there I arrived in my 1955 Packard!

This is a more fitting picture of the sign, with one of the 28  observatories in the background. The site was selected because of its clear night skies for 250 days of the year.

This is a concrete mockup of the of the mirror in the 4 meter telescope, the largest at the site. The mockup was built to test the weight carrying capacity of the framework  to hold and manipulate the mirror. The mockup has been decorated with a mural showing the life of the Tohono O’Odham tribe which entered a perpetual lease of its land for the site.

  Upon our arrival, what else would we do but have lunch?

 

 

We bought out tickets for the1:30 PM tour of the 4 meter telescope building shown below.   The tour began in the Visitor Center with a half hour orientation. Two members  transported 12 of our group up the rather steep hill in their cars and the more able walked.

 

 

When this telescope was designed,  it was hoped to have it house the largest telescope mirror in the world, But the impossibility of bringing such a large mirror up the mountain required a smaller one. When built, the 4 meter mirror telescope was the second largest in the world. So many larger ones have since been built that it now is classified as a small telescope.

The telescope has a somewhat unique feature in that it has a wider angle of view than many, so it is very desirable for some projects. It now is being prepared to study black energy in the universe, we were told.

More observatories, taken from the parking lot of the 4 meter telescope.

Here is a view of several of the telescopes built on the mountain top. The one at the far left is a solar observatory, the only one like it in the world.