Apache Point Observatory, Astronomical observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, United States.
Apache Point Observatory is a research facility with multiple telescopes located in the Sacramento Mountains at about 2,800 meters (9,150 feet) elevation. The equipment and buildings spread across a mountain ridge designed to optimize observation of the night sky.
The facility was established in 1998 by New Mexico State University and the Astrophysical Research Consortium. It grew into a center for large-scale astronomical surveys and observation projects.
The observatory maintains the Sloan Digital Sky Survey program, creating detailed three-dimensional maps of the visible universe.
The facility opens for guided tours at designated times where visitors observe from outside the telescope buildings. Come prepared for high-altitude conditions and mountain weather, as the access road is steep and winding.
The observatory houses a specialized laser system that measures Earth-Moon distances with millimeter-level precision. This system provides data for gravity research and helps scientists understand celestial mechanics.
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