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UA may take over Kitt Peak telescope

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Steward Observatory could use 12 Meter Telescope for

Plans to close the 12 Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak could be put off indefinitely if the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory steps in by the end of the month.

On July 31, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory will release control of the 12 Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak, 50 miles southwest of Tucson, which could open the door for the UA to takeover the facility.

The 12 Meter Telescope commitment will give way to a more progressive project in Chile, said Robert Brown, deputy director of the NRAO.

"It's a natural evolution of science," Brown said.

The crowning achievement for the telescope was that it pioneered millimeter-wavelength molecular astronomy.

One of the main focuses of the telescope is to investigate chemical seeds between stars, which could lead to the creation of planets and their contents.

Brown added that while the telescope was the envy of the scientific community when it began operating in 1967, technological advancements have allowed scientists to improve upon the success of the facility.

Plans are currently in the works for a collaborative project between U.S. and European astronomy organizations, including the NRAO, to build the Atacama Large Millimeter Array telescope in Chile.

The project, which has not yet been funded, is expected to feature 64 individual antennas each 12 meters in length.

Brown added that the 12 Meter Telescope on Kitt Peak only has one antenna, which would make the new project 64 times more powerful.

One of the deciding factors for the NRAO to withdraw from the facility and build a new one in the Andes Mountains was elevation of the telescope.

The new project will be built at an elevation of 16,500 feet, compared to Kitt Peak's elevation of 6,000 feet.

Brown said Kitt Peak's lower elevation resulted in more moisture standing in the way of the telescope and the sky it was studying.

"We want to be as high as possible, on an area of eight miles of flat space to maneuver around," he added.

One of the reasons the Steward Observatory may step in and take control of the telescope is because they already have students completing their studies at the facility.

"We have several students working on programs and would like to continue those programs," said Peter Strittmatter, Steward Observatory director and regents professor of astronomy.

Besides the cost of faculty and graduate students who would be paid, in the take over "there will be no net operations cost to the university," he added.

If the Steward Observatory opts not to take control of the telescope, it probably will be dismantled.