Having a Blast at Kitt Peak
Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. McMahon (NSF NOIRLab), CC BY 4.0
Soaring above the Visitor Center Levine 0.4-meter Telescope at NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, is a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching a satellite into Earth’s orbit. This rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California, about 550 miles from Kitt Peak. Although the Sun had already set at Kitt Peak, sunlight high above the horizon still illuminated the rocket and its exhaust plume, making them visible from the observatory. Kitt Peak Visitor Center Operations Manager Peter McMahon also captured the launch from the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope. You can see other images of this launch from KPNO here and here. The Visitor Center Levine 0.4-meter Telescope supports nighttime observing programs for the public, allowing visitors to explore the night sky hands-on with impressive resolving power. The glowing red light emanating from the telescope’s dome is chosen intentionally. Astronomers need their eyes to be well adjusted to the dark to observe at night. To preserve their low-light vision, they use red light, which doesn't disrupt human night vision as much as other colors do. You can learn how to visit KPNO here.
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