Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Astronomical research facility on Mount Hopkins, United States
Description
The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is a research facility on Mount Hopkins that houses several telescopes at different elevations. The MMT telescope, with its 6.5-meter mirror, sits at the summit and serves as one of the primary instruments for studying distant objects in space.
History
The facility was established in 1966 as Mount Hopkins Observatory and renamed in 1981 to honor astronomer Fred Lawrence Whipple, a planetary science pioneer. The renaming recognized his major contributions to our understanding of the solar system and comets.
Culture
The observatory maintains regular connections with the scientific community through collaborations between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the University of Arizona.
Practical
Visitors can reach the observatory through scheduled tours from the base visitor center, where educational exhibits explain the work of astronomers and researchers. The tours allow guests to see different telescopes and learn how scientists use them to study space.
Did you know?
The facility houses the VERITAS system with four 12-meter telescopes that detect gamma rays by capturing Cherenkov radiation in Earth's atmosphere. This specialized approach allows scientists to observe cosmic events invisible to traditional telescopes.
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