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Photo: Marilyn Chung/Lawrence Berkeley National Lab/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA / CC BY 4.0 · source

Attractions

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Sells, AZ · Quinlan Mountains, Southern Arizona$$Daytime tour $24.95; discounted $19.95, youth 8 to 16 $17.95

About

Kitt Peak sits at 6,875 feet in the Quinlan Mountains on the Tohono O'odham Nation, about 55 miles southwest of Tucson. The summit holds more than 20 optical telescopes and two radio dishes, one of the largest clusters of astronomical instruments in the northern hemisphere. The site was chosen in 1958 for dark, steady air, and Tucson and Pima County have guarded it since 1972 with outdoor lighting codes. The Nightly Observing Program opens with sunset from the summit, works through constellations by binocular, then gives each group an hour at a visitor center telescope. The ending sticks: a caravan eases down the first mile of Route 386 with headlights off so the research telescopes stay undisturbed. Book two to four weeks out, aim for a new moon, and dress for 30 degrees colder than Tucson. The gate closes at 4 p.m. to anyone without a reservation, so you cannot drive up and stargaze on your own.

Highlights

6,875 ft summit20+ optical telescopes, 2 radioNightly Observing Program, reservation requiredRoad gated 4 p.m. to 9 a.m.Tohono O'odham Nation landNew moon best

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