“Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope”
For more than half a century this location, high above Alamogordo, NM, has been known for its excellent daytime sky quality, both in terms of transparency and seeing. The Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) takes advantage of these conditions to make high resolution observations of the Sun. The DST is the finest instrument of its kind in the world. With 0.2 arc-seconds resolution, the DST has revealed many intricacies of the surface features on the Sun imposed by the complex magnetic fields that dominate that region. The DST is equipped with a wide range of excellent instrumentation, such as the Universal Birefringent Filter and Echelle Spectrograph. The DST has also served as the test bed for the ongoing development of the next generation of solar instrumentation. This new instrumentation includes adaptive optics systems that will greatly reduce the effects of seeing on the solar image.
Wasn't impressed. Most of the telescopes are not in operation due to antiquated equipment. The one scope I saw that was operating was automated with no one in attendance. There was what appeared to be an old monitor showing live shots of the Sun, but I can get clearer images using my amateur equipment. Only person I saw there was the dude in the gift shop. It is a long arduous drive thru elevation to get to the observatory. I guess with all of the observatories I have visited, I was expecting something more.
The visitor center was interesting. The main telescope was neat to see as well, however it would have been better if we were able to talk to someone there or see some of the equipment at work.
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National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak
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Wheelchair Accessible
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