Advanced Observing Program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center

The Advanced Observing Program is a public program in which participants use the high-tech resources of the Kitt Peak Visitor Center Observatories to explore the Universe. Don’t miss our images!

New CCD Images!

Quick Rate Info

$550/night, up to 2 people
$90/night/person, room and board, single occupancy
$75/night/person, double occupancy

Resources and Equipment

20-inch RC Observatory

RC Optical Systems 20-inch f/8.1 carbon truss Ritchey-Chrétien reflector on a Paramount ME
RC Optical Systems Telescope Control Center (TCC) hardware and software
Takahashi 106 FSQ (106-mm f/5) refractor
Astrophysics convertible 2-inch 2× Barlow lens (for planets: yields f/16.2)
SBIG STL-6303E (Non-ABG) CCD camera with auto-guider
8-position color filter wheel with Astrodon filters (L, R, G, B, Hα)
SBIG AO-L adaptive optics system
Canon EOS 5D digital camera
Philips ToUCam (webcam)
TheSky6 (Professional Edition) software database and pointing tool
T-point software to minimize telescope pointing errors
Mira image processing software
Adobe Photoshop CS2 image processing software
MaximDL camera control and basic on-site image processing
RegiStar image processing software

Roll-Off-Roof (ROR) Observatory

RC Optical Systems 16-inch f/8.4 carbon truss Ritchey-Chrétien reflector on a Paramount ME
RC Optical Systems Telescope Control Center (TCC) hardware and software
TEC APO140ED (140-mm f/7) refractor
Astrophysics convertible 2-inch 2× Barlow lens (for planets: yields f/16.8)
SBIG STL-6303E (Non-ABG) CCD camera with auto-guider and color filter wheel
SBIG AO-L adaptive optics system
Canon EOS 5D digital camera
Philips ToUCam (webcam)
TheSky6 (Professional Edition) software database and pointing tool
T-point software to minimize telescope pointing errors
Mira image processing software
Adobe Photoshop CS2 image processing software
MaximDL camera control and basic on-site image processing
RegiStar image processing software.

16-inch SCT Observatory

Meade 16-inch LX-200 f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector on a fork mount
TeleVue 76-mm f/6.3 APO refractor
JMI NGF-S 2-inch focuser with digital readout
Celestron f/6.3 and Optec f/3.3 focal reducers
Astrophysics convertible 2-inch 2× Barlow lens (for planets: yields f/20)
SBIG ST8XE (Non-ABG) CCD camera with auto-guider
SBIG CFW-8 color filter wheel (L, R, G, B, Hα)
SBIG AO-7 adaptive optics system
Canon Digital Rebel digital camera
Philips ToUCam (webcam)
TheSky6 (Professional Edition) software database and pointing tool
T-point software to minimize telescope pointing errors
Mira image processing software
Adobe Photoshop CS2 image processing software
MaximDL camera control and basic on-site image processing
RegiStar image processing software

Astrophotography

Platform type camera mount (piggy-back)
T-Rings for Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, and Pentax
Off-axis guider
Variable illuminated reticle

Filters

Deep-sky, UHC, Hβ, O-III, Moon
Full selection of color filters
Broadband skyglow

Miscellaneous

Full selection of eyepieces including:
- 9mm Nagler
- 17mm Nagler
- 31mm Nagler
- 22mm Panoptic
7×50 Binoculars
Star charts (TheSky software, Uranometria 2000.0, Sky Atlas 2000)
Telrad (for learning how to point and find objects)