Architecture of the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope - Tucson, Arizona, United States of America

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McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope
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McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope

Built:	1960-1962
Designed by:	W. Zabiskie
Type:	Scientific installation
Maximum height:	26 feet
Location:	Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation

This odd-looking contraption is how scientists look at the sun without going blind. It is actually three telescopes in one housing which are used independently or combined depending on the task at hand. What you see on the surface is only a fraction of the total telescope. The slanting tunnel extends another two-hundred feet underground. The entire device is temperature controlled and made with four-foot-thick reinforced steel walls to keep wind vibration to a minimum.

"The great new solar telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona is a source of pride to this nation. The largest instrument for solar research in the world, it presents American astronomers with a unique tool for investigating the nearest of stars, our Sun. This project is of exceptional interest to all of our citizens."

- President John F. Kennedy
October 22, 1962

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