The WIYN Observatory
The WIYN Observatory is a ground-breaking facility with a 3.5-meter telescope atop Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona. It is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). This partnership between public and private universities and NOAO was the first of its kind. Over nearly two decades of operation, the universities and the larger astronomical community have benefited from access to this well run observatory and its excellent site. The telescope incorporates many technological breakthroughs including a modern dome and actively controlled mirror. WIYN has earned a reputation in particular for its excellent image quality that is now available over a wider field than ever before through the addition of the One Degree Imager optical camera.
Detailed information on the WIYN Telescope is available on the WIYN Technical Specifications page.
WIYN Consortium Seeks New Partners
The WIYN Consortium, which operates the 3.5-m WIYN telescope on Kitt
Peak in Arizona, is seeking new partners to join the consortium. Our
immediate goal is to secure the future operations of the WIYN 3.5-m
telescope. However, we are also interested in talking to potential
partners about the possibility of creating a new consortium that would
operate both the WIYN and Mayall 4-m telescope as a two-telescope
system on Kitt Peak.
For additional information, including a full copy of the
announcement of interest view the Potential Partner Information page.
News
ODI IS GATHERING DATA!
ODI is on the telescope and in regular use in static mode. A wealth of information on ODI can be found within the ODI Web Pages. There observers can find information on proposal and planning information, an overview of ODI, a quick guide to the PPA, and much more.
Science Highlight
Asteroid P/2010 A2 imaged with ODI
Using the new ODI camera at WIYN, astronomers have imaged an asteroid with a spectacularly long "tail". Tails or comas, indicating significant mass loss, are unusual in asteroids and more associated with comets. However, in recent years, a small number of asteroids have been identified with these features.
Asteroid P/2010 A2 was imaged with ODI in Nov 2012. Previous images had indicated that the tail was long, spilling over the small fields of view available. The excellent image quality offered by ODI over its 25 arcminute FOV revealed a huge tail, extending over a million kilometers and, in fact, even beyond the ODI field.
More information can be found in the full Press Release.
Visitor Information
The WIYN 3.5m is not open to the public. However, the visitor's center does offer daily tours of other telescopes on Kitt Peak. For more information on visiting Kitt Peak National Obseratory see the Kitt Peak Visitor's Center web site.
