>> Observatories

• Astronomy in Arizona by Rik Hill
• Skyweek's "Astro-Szene Arizona" series

Tucson and around

University of Arizona Campus and Around

• University of Arizona SEDS has its office in the basement of the LPL building (including their internet headquarters and the machine running this service)
• University of Arizona Astronomy Club
• Flandrau Planetarium with the Flandrau Observatory is nearest to the LPL building. Note Flandrau's Skywatchers Guide!

  Besides the proper planetarium, there is a space exhibition, a science exhibition to experiment yourself, a 16-inch telescope used for public events, and a gift shop. In their basement is the UA Mineral Museum.

• Lunar Planetary Laboratory (LPL); Space Imagery Center (SIC), Planetary Image Research Lab (PIRL)
• The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) has its internet headquarters at LPL (by Rik Hill)
• Planetary Science Institute (PSI)
• Steward Observatory and Astronomy Department:
  • Department of Astronomy
  • Steward Observatory Main Page (they also have a 21-inch (0.5-meter) reflecting telescope on campus; see also the Steward Observatory Facilities and Telescopes page)
• Theoretical Astrophysics Group
• Steward Observatory Mirror Lab: Where they make those BIG telescope mirrors
• National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), operated by AURA
• K12: Project Astro, Tucson (with the ASP)
• University of Arizona Main Homepage

Other sites of astronomical interest in Tucson

• Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA)
• Stellar Vision Astronomy Store (Telescopes, Cameras, Books, and more)
• Astro Camp
• NRAO Tucson
• Tucson L5 Space Society

• Biosphere 2
  • Biosphere 2 Observatory

Phoenix and around

• Arizona State University (ASU):
  • Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
  • WFPC2 project, maintaining a HST images archive
  • Mars Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) project for the Mars Global Surveyor
  • Arizona Mars K-12 Educational Project
• Saguaro Astronomy Club (SAC)
• East Valley Astronomy Club (EVAC), Scottsdale, Arizona

Northern Arizona

• Northern Arizona.University (Flagstaff)
  • Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• USGS (Flagstaff)
• Meteor Crater near Flagstaff

Astronomical Observatories

Around Tucson

• Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) (KPNO public page). 22 telescopes, plus one (of the LPL) under construction. Belongs to NOAO; also see above. Telescopes:
  • The newest operational scope is the Wisconsin Indiana Yale and NOAO telescope (WIYN)
  • 12 meter NRAO Tucson radio telescope
  • 2.3 meter Bok Reflector (Steward Observatory)
  • 1.8 meter Spacewatch Telescope (Steward Observatory)
  • 0.9 meter Spacewatch Reflector (Steward Observatory)
  Their Visitor Center offers public information and materials, guided daytime tours (note their virtual tour) and a Nightly Observing Program (NOP). Within their Advanced Observing Program, people can even use a well-equipped 16-inch telescope on Kitt Peak (assisted by astronomers) for one full night!
• Mt. Hopkin:
  • Multi Mirror Telescope (MMT)
  • SAO
  • Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO):
    • 60-inch and 48-inch reflectors,
    • 10m Gamma ray telescope/VERITAS,
    • IOTA: Infrared-Optical Telescope Array
  • Fairborne Observatory
• Mt. Lemmon
  • 1.5 meter NASA Reflector
  • 60-inch IR telescope
  • 1 meter Steward Observatory Reflector
• Mt. Bigelow (Catalina site)
  • Steward Observatory 61-inch (1.6 meter) Bigelow Reflector (Kuiper telescope)
  • 0.4 meter Schmidt (Steward Observatory)
• Mt. Graham (beware of the squirrels):
  • VATT 1.8 meter Lennon Reflector
  • Mt. Graham International Observatory (MGIO) with the 12 meter equivalent Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) currently under construction
  • 10 meter Heinrich Hertz Sub-mm telescope

Northern Arizona

• Lowell Observatory
• National Undergraduate Research Observatory
• U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) has its major observing sites near Flagstaff

Links

• Arizona Webhub: Astronomy
• Defunct ! View Tom Polakis' aerial tour of Arizona Observatories
• Arizona Astronomical Observing Sites selected and featured by Tom Polakis