McMath–Pierce Solar Telescope, Solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, United States
The McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope features a primary 1.61-meter mirror system fed by a 2.03-meter heliostat, with two additional telescopes containing 0.81-meter heliostats.
Completed in 1962, this telescope maintained its status as the world's largest solar telescope until December 2019, when the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope began operations.
The telescope building represents a collaboration between American architect Myron Goldsmith and structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, merging scientific needs with architectural innovation.
The facility includes a 110-foot-tall platform and a 200-foot-long concrete optical tunnel, protected by water-cooled casings that shield it from mountain winds.
The telescope directs sunlight through a diagonal shaft that extends underground to reach the main mirror, enabling detailed observations of solar phenomena.
Location: Arizona
Elevation above the sea: 2,096 m
Diameter: 203 cm
Part of: Kitt Peak National Observatory
Website: https://noirlab.edu/public/programs/kitt-peak-national-observatory/mcmath-pierce-solar-telescope
GPS coordinates: 31.95840,-111.59500
Latest update: March 8, 2025 22:23
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