Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Atop Mount Hopkins near Amado, Arizona, the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory has served as the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's largest field site outside Cambridge, Massachusetts since 1966.
About Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
Owned and operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), the observatory sits at 2,606 metres elevation, high enough to place its instruments above much of Arizona's turbulent lower atmosphere.
History
The observatory was founded in 1966 and has grown into SAO's principal field installation for observational astronomy outside its home base in Massachusetts.
Telescopes & research
Research here spans imaging and spectroscopy of extragalactic, stellar and solar-system objects, extrasolar bodies, and gamma-ray and cosmic-ray astronomy, making it one of the more scientifically active sites in our directory.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits on the summit of Mount Hopkins near Amado, Arizona, in the North America region, at 2,606 metres elevation.
Visiting Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory
As an active research facility, public access is more limited than at dedicated visitor observatories; check the official site for current tour or open-house information before planning a trip.
See your named star from here
A site built for extragalactic and exoplanet research has the instrumentation to resolve precise stellar coordinates, including the position of a star you've named through Star Register. Look up its coordinates in our catalogue if you're able to arrange a visit.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check the official website and Google Maps for current times before you travel.
