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Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), supports the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth for nighttime optical and infrared astronomy and daytime study of the Sun. Sharing the mountaintop site with the National Solar Observatory, KPNO, founded in 1958, operates three major nighttime telescopes and hosts the facilities of consortia which operate 19 optical telescopes and two radio telescopes. (See the Tenant Observatories list.) Kitt Peak is located 56 miles southwest of Tucson, AZ, in the Schuk Toak District on the Tohono O'odham Nation and has a Visitor Center open daily to the public.

If you need to contact someone at NOAO but are uncertain of that person's email address, simply send email to "first_inital_last_name@noao.edu", i.e., bsmith@noao.edu or jdoe@noao.edu. A general purpose email account has been set up to answer any questions you have about observing at Kitt Peak and don't know who to ask. Any and all questions you have can be e-mailed to this address: kpno@noao.edu and it will be forwarded to the appropriate person.

Midday on Kitt Peak
by astronomer William K. Hartmann, May 2009

Astronomy Artists Exhibit Artwork in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of our National Astronomy Observatory and the 50th Anniversary of The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

Members of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA) exihibited their work on Friday, October 23, 2009, in the Kuiper Space Sciences Building Atrium. The “Visions of the Cosmos” exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversaries of both the National Astronomy Observatory (1958-2008) and The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (1960-2010). Much of the art displayed was very new. IAAA artists spent several days at Kitt Peak National Observatory in October, creating new works to celebrate the national observatory’s anniversary.

For information about the International Association of Astronomical Artists, visit: http://iaaa.org.

For information about Kitt Peak National Observatory, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and the National Solar Observatory, visit: http://www.noao.edu/kpno, http://www.noao.edu and http://www.nso.edu.

For information about the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, visit: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu.

Information on the 50th anniversary of Kitt Peak

NOAO is the national center for ground-based nighttime astronomy in the United States and is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. If you would like information about solar astronomy, visit the National Solar Observatory. If you would like information about radio astronomy, visit the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

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