If you are interested in space adventures and astronomy, and is on a visit to Tucson, the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) would be the ideal destination for you. Set up in 1958, the observatory is located on the Kitt Peak that is located at a height of 6,800 feet on Quinlan Mountain, and is 55 miles from the city towards the south western part. It is a 90 minutes drive from the city center.

The observatories have a collection of 26 optical telescopes and a wide range of astronomical instruments. The Tucson KPNO offers several educational programs for the tourists to learn the history of astronomy. There are daytime tours that are available thrice daily. The night programs are really amazing. These programs begin just before sunset. There are professional guides and student researchers who explain the star graphs to the tourists and hands over the binoculars.

You can view the various constellations and galaxies all through the evening. But you need to make a galaxy before hand. If you are a complete space enthusiast, you can go for an advanced observation program. This program allows you to enjoy a night-long experience watching the galaxy and the solar system with the help of advanced telescope and state-of-the-art instruments.

The observatory is opened everyday, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. The rate depends on the number of hours you wish to spend in the place. It is best to avoid the full moon time, because it affects night viewing. You should select a darker night for viewing. The place can be cool in the night, so you should carry an overcoat or a light woolen wear.

People who have a great interest to modern science would enjoy going to Tucson, Arizona and visit Kitt Peak National Observatory. But how would you get there?

Address:

950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-4933.

You can call them at (520) 318-8000 or fax them at (520) 318-8360

Driving directions

The observatory is 56 SW of Tucson if you take the State Route 86. You would reach the place in a good one and a half hour of drive from Tucson. You can take I-10 to I-19 and go south. About a mile away, you would be at Ajo Highway / Highway 86, Exit 99. You can take the West exit to your right and go past Ryan Airfield and 3 Points. Drive until you reach Junction 386 then turn left to 386. You would find the Kitt Peak Visitor Center right at the summit.

What to see

The Kitt Peak National Observatory has the largest collection of telescopes. It is right above the Sonoran Desert-giving visitors a nice view of the skies. It has 24 optical telescopes and 2 radio telescopes. Guests can have a different kind of experience with the stars and Tucson skies at the observatory. If you want to go to Kitt Peak, you can stay in hotels in Tucson very near the observatory.

Official website

http://www.noao.edu/outreach/kpvc/

Kitt Peak on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitt_Peak_National_Observatory

Reviews on Kitt Peak

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60950-d108898-Reviews-Kitt_Peak_National_Optical_Astronomy_Observatory-Tucson_Arizona.html

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2809805-kitt_peak_national_observatory_tucson-i

The recent fire at the gateway to the Kitt Peak National Observatory has stopped the usual entry towards it. There is restricted access currently but one can easily go by the mountains and in order to stay you can use a hotel in Tucson AZ. The fire management team is on its way to control the problems and there are all sorts of programs that were regular at the Kitt Peak National Observatory which are now closed currently.

The Kitt Peak National Observatory or KPNO was a part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory or NOAO. This supports a whole wide collection of infrared astronomical observatories. There are nighttime observatories as well as daytime study options. Overall this is one of the unique places on earth where you can study in peace and get many opportunities to extend your researches. This brings several learning expansion for the student as well as practical guide through the diverse facilities provided. All the details to the place are brought in the following link:

http://www.noao.edu/kpno/

This brings in great many educational opportunities for you. The Visitor Center is open daily while the Tenant Observatories list will offer you several important details to your expedition. To check out that list the resource is at:

http://www.noao.edu/kpno/tenants/index.html

Undergraduate Research Experience

The UG research experience at NOAO offers limited summer research programs and there are assistant positions that a student might enjoy participating in. These bring in world of new opportunities which cannot be experienced otherwise. The National Solar Observatory is also a great place to check out through here.

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is also another important national center to check out for the best of observational activities and researches of the world through US. For greater details on the programs here this is a helpful page:

http://www.noao.edu/reu.html