SARA-KP

SARA-KP is a 0.9-metre telescope sited at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, at an elevation of 2,133 metres, run by NOIRLab as part of one of North America's premier astronomy sites.

About SARA-KP

SARA-KP belongs to the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), a consortium founded in 1989 and now made up of more than 15 university members, led by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and including Florida Tech, East Tennessee State, Clemson, Ball State, Agnes Scott, the University of Alabama, Valparaiso, Butler, Texas A&M Commerce, and the University of Delaware's Mt Cuba Observatory.

History

The telescope was established at the Kitt Peak site by the SARA consortium in 1990, giving member universities shared access to a dedicated research-grade instrument without each needing its own observatory.

Telescopes & research

SARA-KP is a 0.9-metre Cassegrain reflector equipped with a high-efficiency CCD imaging camera, a fine-guiding CCD camera, and an Echelle spectrograph for high-resolution spectroscopy. It is fully accessible over the internet in real time, letting astronomers at SARA member campuses observe remotely alongside those working on-site.

Location & getting there

Kitt Peak National Observatory rises from the Arizona desert southwest of Tucson, a site chosen for its high elevation, dry climate, and dark skies, and shared by numerous telescopes operated by different institutions, including NOIRLab.

Visiting SARA-KP

Kitt Peak National Observatory runs public tours and stargazing programmes, though SARA-KP itself is primarily used for remote research by SARA's member institutions. Check NOIRLab's Kitt Peak visitor pages for current tour schedules and public access details.

See your named star from here

A remotely operated instrument like SARA-KP is built to swing to any set of sky coordinates on demand, the same principle behind finding a star named through Star Register. Check the catalogue for your star's position and picture it from this Arizona mountaintop.