Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Observatory
Image: Wikimedia Commons
MDM Observatory (Michigan–Dartmouth–MIT Observatory) stands on Kitt Peak in Arizona, right beside Kitt Peak National Observatory, west of Tucson.
About MDM Observatory
The observatory is owned and operated by a consortium of universities: the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, Ohio State University, Columbia University and Ohio University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was also part of the operating consortium in the past, and its initials remain in the observatory's name. MDM carries the astronomical observatory code 697.
Telescopes & research
Two reflecting telescopes make up the facility: the 2.4-metre (95-inch aperture) Hiltner Telescope, in operation since 1986 and used for galactic surveys, and the 1.3-metre (50-inch aperture) McGraw–Hill Telescope, operating since 1975, which was originally sited near Ann Arbor, Michigan, before its move to Kitt Peak.
Location & getting there
The observatory sits on Kitt Peak, west of Tucson, Arizona, USA, sharing the mountain's famously dark, dry desert skies with Kitt Peak National Observatory next door.
See your named star from here
Kitt Peak's clear desert air and two working reflecting telescopes make it a natural place to imagine tracking down a star named with Star Register using its precise coordinates. Browse the star catalogue to see stars already named by others.
Opening hours and public-visit programs vary by season. Check Google Maps for current times before you travel.
