WIYN 3.5m Observatory

The WIYN Observatory

The WIYN Observatory is a ground-breaking facility with a 3.5-meter telescope atop Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona. It is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, NSF's NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Labroratory) (formerly NOAO), Pennsylvania State University, the University of California at Irvine and Purdue University. This partnership between public and private universities and NOIRLab was the first of its kind. Over more than two decades of operation, the universities and the larger astronomical community have benefited from access to this well run observatory and its excellent site. The telescope incorporates many technological breakthroughs including a modern dome and actively controlled mirror. WIYN has earned a reputation in particular for its excellent image quality that is now available over a wider field than ever before through the addition of the One Degree Imager optical camera.

Detailed technical information on the WIYN 3.5m Telescope is available on the WIYN Technical Specifications page.

Visiting WIYN

Kitt Peak National Observatory is located 60 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona.

The WIYN 3.5m is not open to the public. However, the visitor's center does offer daily tours of other telescopes on Kitt Peak. For more information on visiting Kitt Peak National Obseratory see the Kitt Peak Visitor's Center web site.