Kitt Peak installing telescope to expand its public programs

The 16-inch optical telescope, built in Flagstaff, will be installed this week and be online by the middle of March, said Rich Fedele, manager of public outreach for the Kitt Peak National Observatory, part of NOAO National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

The new telescope will be used exclusively for public access, joining two other telescopes used in the popular nightly viewing program. The observatory is located on the 6,875-foot summit of Kitt Peak, about 55 miles southwest of Tucson.

Public viewing at the current two telescopes, a 16-inch and a 20-inch, which can hold 14 and 20 people a night, is booked solid for two months, Fedele said.

"This is going to help us open more seats," Fedele said.

Sixteen people a night can observe at the new telescope, bringing the total to 50. The new telescope is being installed in the "Rolled-Off-Roof" building, which previously housed research projects by NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fedele said. It's a self-contained building with classroom space, the observatory, work areas and restrooms.

Once the telescope is installed, Kitt Peak will begin taking reservations for the expanded night-viewing seats.

Reservations are required for viewing. Call 318-8726 to reserve a spot.

Admission for the public viewing program is $39 per person, $34 for seniors and students and military personnel with identification. A light meal is included. With the new telescope, Kitt Peak will offer discounts for groups of 10 or more people.

Stargazers are advised to arrive one hour before sunset and will start with exhibits about the observatory before stepping outside to view constellations with the naked eye and binoculars. Finally, visitors will use the telescopes, viewing planets, multiple star systems, planetary nebulae, star clusters and galaxies, depending on the time of year.

The program runs nearly four hours after sunset.

Online: www.noao.edu/outreach/kpvc