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Credit & Copyright: Bill Keel,
University of Alabama
Explanation:
This odd-looking structure silhouetted in the foreground
houses the three largest solar telescopes in the
world. Located in
Kitt Peak,
Arizona, the largest telescope inside the
McMath-Pierce Facility
is 1.6-meters in diameter and contains only mirrors.
The telescope contains no windows or lenses because focusing bright
sunlight would overheat them. Visible in the background of this sunrise
photo are the Moon and
Venus. The telescopes are used in many research
projects including
determining the Sun's structure, researching the cause
of the solar corona,
monitoring
Sun-spots and
solar flares, and observing bright planets and
comets near the
Sun. The telescopes even help monitor the Earth's
atmospheric content of
ozone and
CFCs!
Information:
The
Scale of the Universe Debate in April 1996
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Observatory
Publications with words: Observatory
See also: