The NOAO Public Information Office and the Kitt Peak Visitor Center are proud to announce a new addition to the world's largest collection of optical telescopes, the 0.4-meter Visitor Center Telescope. Located at the Visitor Center on the summit of Kitt Peak, the wheelchair-accessible public telescope facility will feature a state-of-the-art LX200 telescope provided by Meade Instruments Corporation of Irvine, California. Delivery, installation, and start-up of the telescope is expected by this autumn 1996. The Visitor Center Telescope is linked to the initiation of the Public Observing Program (POP), which will offer visitors a variety of authentic observing experiences.
The Visitor Center Telescope combines both traditional and high-tech observing equipment to allow visitors a look into the universe with several astronomical "eyes." Traditional eyepiece observing will offer direct, breathtaking views of the cosmos as early astronomers would have seen it. Objects will also be imaged using a CCD camera, one of the ways professional astronomers currently study the sky. Real- time video displays of planets and the Moon will allow an entire group to share in a guided sky-tour, while recording the experience to enjoy again later. With the facility's multi-media computer system, a planetarium program assists in displaying constellations, creating animations of celestial phenomenon, operating the telescope and cameras, and posting images taken by visitors on the internet. The contrast between high-tech and traditional observing is highlighted by a flip-mirror system that permits an instant switch from an eyepiece to a CCD or video camera.
Two observing programs for the general public are currently in development. A new monthly "Public Evening" program will offer visitors a rare behind the scenes look at Kitt Peak at night. Public Evenings will include sunset observations, a popular "Ask the Astronomer" session, and the opportunity to view through a professional research telescope. Beginning in the fall of 1996, POP will introduce the "Star Party," a weekly star-gazing session with emphasis on experiential learning about the sky. Star Party participants will examine the sky with the naked eye, binoculars, and the Visitor Center Telescope. Additional night program plans include scheduled group visits by schools, clubs, scouts, and members of the Tohono O'odham Nation. For daytime guests, the Visitor Center will offer daily observing of the sun through two new 8" Meade LX200 telescopes equipped with special solar filters. Whether day or night, POP promises a special treat for each of our visitors.
All of this is possible thanks to more than $30,000 worth of new equipment, donated by an outstanding assemblage of private corporations. In gratitude, an attractive plaque acknowledging each contributing corporation and its donation is being located at the Kitt Peak Visitor Center Telescope where 100,000 visitors may read it annually. Congratulations and appreciation go to the following corporations for their support of NOAO's Public Observing Program:
Additionally, many NOAO/Kitt Peak staff members have given unselfishly of their time and effort to establish the Visitor Center Telescope. We thank the following individuals: Khairy Abdel-Gawad, Tony Abraham, Bob Barnes, Jeff Barr, John Dunlop, Jim Hutchinson, Steve Lane, Larry Reddell, William Schoening, John Scott, Sidney Wolff, and the mountain facilities staff.
Please look for updates and announcements about the Public Observing Program in future issues of the NOAO Newsletter. For more information on POP please call (520) 319-8250 or contact me by e-mail, ridolfi@noao.edu.
Frankie Ridolfi,
Public Program Coordinator