The WIYN Observatory

The WIYN Observatory. . , The octagon-shaped building that you see in the distance is the enclosure for the telescope of the WIYN Observatory. Completed in 1994, WIYN is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories. , The WTYN Observatory has been designed to provide the best possible image quality that the Kitt Peak site can deliver. Similar to "shimmering air" rising from a hot road in the summertime, astronomical images are severely degraded by air currents caused by temperature differences between the telescope mirrors and the telescope structure and building. In contrast to the older domes on the mountain, the WIYN enclosure allows wind to flow through it to carry away heat absorbed during the daytime and heat radiated by equipment in the building. The primary mirror is cooled to maintain its temperature at night-time observing conditions. , The 3.5-meter (140 inch) diameter primary mirror of the WIYN telescope is nearly as large as the 4-meter primary in the Mayall Telescope but weighs only one-tenth as much. The light weight of the WIYN primary allows additional weight savings to be made in the telescope structure Consequently, the WIYN Observatory was completed at a fraction of the replacement cost of telescopes built in decades past., Further information about the WIYN observatory is available at the site., The telescope building is not open to the public.