WIYN telescope. Time exposure image of the dome interior of the WIYN (Wisconsin, Indiana, Yale, NOAO) telescope at the Kitt Peak observatory, USA. The

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WIYN telescope. Time exposure image of the dome interior of the WIYN (Wisconsin, Indiana, Yale, NOAO) telescope at the Kitt Peak observatory, USA. The WIYN has a flexible primary mirror which has 66 actuators that adjust its shape to compensate for distortions. The openings in the side of the dome allow the mirrors to be cooled to ambient air temperatures. The weight of the telescope's moving parts, including its alt- azimuth mount, is only 46 tonnes. The telescope is one of the most powerful in its class and has been used to study galaxies, star formation and the rings around the planet Saturn. It was completed in 1994.

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Size: 3976px × 5112px
Photo credit: © DAVID PARKER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: alt-azimuth, arizona, astronomy, astrophysics, kitt, mount, national, noao, observatories, observatory, optical, peak, telescope, usa, wiyn