The Sun Gazer

Not all telescopes are nocturnal. This stunning image may look like a piece of abstract art, but it in fact features the iconic McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, which is stationed at the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF’s NOIRLab. Telescopes like the KPNO 2.1-meter telescope seen at the center of the arch operate at night, so that the blazing light of our Sun does not drown out the light from the rest of the sky. However, the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope took observations day and night before ending operations in 2017. During its years of operation, this telescope observed not only the Sun, but also planets and bright stars. The interior of the facility is currently being renovated to become the Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach.