During the RAMS 2016 conference, I had a few free moments to run out west of Tucson and check out the Kitt Peak National Observatory. The drive out through the desert is gorgeous before this magnificent view comes into focus. Those little white dots on top of that mountain are telescopes.
Heading up the road, one of the massive telescopes comes into view.
Looking north and a little west on the way to the summit.
Little round domes full of science!
Some local petroglyphs hauled to the summit from a nearby farm.
The big solar telescope.
A no longer used telescope next to the solar telescope.
Inside the solar telescope looking up toward the outer mirror.
The mirror assemblies that route and focus the sunlight into the observation room.
Looking more or less south toward more of the mountain range.
Inside the observation room at the solar telescope.
Big telescopes on the mountaintop.
The telescope inside one of the big domes.
Beautiful view along the ridgeline. Telescopes fading into desert.
Looking from the north part of the side toward the main complex of telescopes.
Looking more or less east.
Inside the behemoth telescope, the 4M Mayall Telescope.
What a gorgeous site to look at the stars!
