Mayall 4-Meter Telescope - 2
The 4-meter (158 inch) Mayall Telescope is one of the largest optical telescopes in the world.Located near the 6875-foot summit of Kitt Peak, the 18-story observatory building can be seen from over 50 miles away.The telescope's 15 ton primary mirror is polished to one millionth of an inch and has a reflective aluminum coating one thousandth the thickness of a human hair.
The Mayall Telescope is used primarily for visible and infrared light observations and has played an important role in many fields of research. For example, the rotation curves of distant galaxies have been observed in order to determine the role of dark matter in the universe.
(Text adapted from Kitt Peak Virtual Tour )
Technical Details
- Title: Mayall 4-Meter Telescope - 2
- Subject: Mayall 4-Meter Telescope
- Location: Kitt Peak National Observatory, ARIZONA
- Camera: Nikon FE with 28mm Nikkor lens
- Exposure: Auto
- Film: Kodachrome 64
- File Name: KP80-115w.jpg
- Original Image Size: 2730 x 3963 pixels (10.8 megapixels); 9.1" x 13.2" @ 300 dpi
- Rights: Copyright 2011 by Fred Espenak. All Rights Reserved. See: Image Licensing.