Meteors over the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

A meteor shower puts on a dazzling show above the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab outside of Tucson, AZ. The unique structure dominating this picture is the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, renowned for its many decades as the world’s most powerful solar telescope. Now decommissioned, this impressive building is transitioning into a new role as the Windows on the Universe outreach center, designed to educate and inspire future generations. At first glance, a powerful solar telescope under a meteor shower may seem to be a strange juxtaposition. While the telescope may not enhance views of meteor showers, its presence here hints at the interconnectedness of our Universe. The Sun and meteors, though they seem unrelated, share a common heritage as they formed from the same nebula of gas and dust that also gave birth to the planets. This connection, captured brilliantly here in this image of the week, underscores the broader mission of Kitt Peak National Observatory and the field of astronomy at large which is to study the skies and identify our place within the cosmos while bridging the gap between astronomical research and public outreach.

The meteor shower shown here is the Geminids, which produces almost as many meteors per hour as the Perseids every year.