Home Smithsonian Journeys Astronomy in Arizona May 2017

Hover dam.

Kitt Peak observatory.

Kitt Peak observatory with telephoto lens.

Coming in to Tucson.

Arizona Inn, our room to right.

Arizona Inn.

Arizona Inn wildlife.

MMT on Mt. Hopkins.

Two 6" robot telescopes made in house
at Whipple Observatory visitors center.

Whipple Observatory VERITAS Gamma Ray telescope.
One of four, at visitors center.

Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mt. Hopkins.
Dome on left has 1.2 meter (48 inch).
Dome on right has 1.5 meter (60 inch).

Whipple observatory 1.2 meter (48 inch).

Whipple observatory 1.5 meter (60 inch).

Whipple observatory MINERVA, MINiature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array. Contains 5 telescopes.
Used to search for planets around stars.

MINERVA PlaneWave CDK700, 0.7m telescope in custom telescope enclosure designed by LCOGT engineers.

View from Mt. Hopkins at Whipple observatory ridge area.
Where we observed and had dinner.

Panorama from Mt. Hopkins at Whipple observatory ridge area.

Mountain peak on way up Mt. Hopkins to MMT.

Looking back down to the viewing area on the ridge.
Where 48 and 60 inch telescopes are.

Panorama on top of Mt. Hopkins at MMT.

Looking down on road leading up to Mt. Hopkins MMT.

View from top of Mt. Hopkins.

MMT recoating bulding and maintenance area.

MMT exterior, entire building rotates to track.

MMT 6.5 meter (256 inch) telescope.

MMT 6.5 meter (256 inch) telescope.
Mirror was made in the UA Mirror Lab.
First light was in 2000.

MMT 6.5 meter (256 inch) telescope secondary mirror.
This is where the adaptive optics are done.

MMT 6.5 meter (256 inch) telescope primary mirror and light baffle.

MMT hatch open looking at the secondary.

Looking out of the MMT from the telescope level at the hatch.
Ridge observatories can be seen below.

MMT with observatory hatches open.

Standing next to one of the MMT's altitude bearing.

Dome open on one of the ridge observatoy telescopes and MINERVA enclosures.

MMT hatch closing.

Kitt Peak from Mt. Hopkins at sunset.

GMT mirror under test stand.
Test stand being calibrated.

Ring used to remove mirror from furnace.

Hex cores used in back of mirror.

Glass and parts used to make the mirrors.

Oven being prepaired for next mirror.
Hex cores are bolted into the holes.

Mirror being readied for grinding and polishing.
Polisher is over center of mirror.

Mirror grinder attachment.

Saguaro Cactus on way to Mt. Lemmon.

Mt. Lemmon.

Mt. Lemmon.

Mt. Lemmon.

Mt. Lemmon overlook.

David Aguilar, our guide, at senic overlook.

Mt. Lemmon overlook.

Senic overlook on way to Mt. Lemmon.

Senic overlook on way to Mt. Lemmon.
Looking back toward Tucson.

Mt. Lemmon observing area.
Dome on left next to van has 32" telescope.

Tour group, less me.

32" telescope we observed through.
TeleVue 127 is on top.

32" telescope name plate.

32" telescope showing mirror.
Telescope was made by RC Optical, no longer in business.

Can I take it home.

Primary mirror of 32" telescope.

Sunset on Mt. Lemmon.

Sunset on Mt. Lemmon.

Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham.
Has 2 8.41 meter mirrors.
Taken from plane.

Rocky mountains on way to Denver.

Rocky mountains on way to Denver.
Created: 03/28/2018