On Friday , June 17 , the Contreras Wildfire crest the southwest ridgepole of Kitt Peak , Arizona , where four enquiry telescopes are based at the National Observatory , home plate to NASA ’s NOIRLab . The next day the fire surrounded telescopes in other contribution of the sprawling observatory , and continues to burn . NOIRLab has confirm there is still active firefighting fail on today and the state of matter of the telescopes remains mostly unknown .
“ Because of the ongoing nature of the situation , it is presently not possible to assess whether any damage to the structures has hap . We will account any equipment casualty as soon as possible , ” a medium tone ending from NOIRLab ( the National Optical - Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory)reported .
Although whether the fires have affected the telescopes is still not known , the outsides of the building that hold in them seem for the most part untouched . On the other hand , patch fervency remain near some of the easterly buildings with active fire - fighting exertion ongoing . Four of the company buildings , used as dormitories and for other funding purpose , rather than direct enquiry , were destroy . “ There has been equipment casualty to the road but it does not seem ruinous , ” a NOIR updateread .
The view from Kitt Peak as the fires approached. Image Credit: NOIRLab
“ While we are not out of danger , the situation is improving , ” the Observatory tweeted .
However , the fire could continue in the orbit for up to a week , and a wind change might cross it back to the site .
stargazer have give thanks the firefighters for their courage and dedication .
Kitt Peak’s burnout southwest ridge on Saturday. This was the first part of the site to burn, so also the first for the fires to leave Image Credit: NOIRLab
Kitt Peak was theUS ’s first interior observatoryand has a perpetual letting with the Tohono O’odham Nation , on whose land it is built with license , as long as the lookout station is being used for research and educational enjoyment .
It is home to a wide-eyed array of great and medium - sized flat coat - base optic telescope , include theNicholas U. Mayall 4 - meter Telescopeand theWIYN 3.5 - meter Telescope . It is also home to one of theVery Long Baseline Arraydishes that are distributed across North America and the University of Arizona millimeter - wavelength telescope .
Two years ago California ’s Lick Observatory at Mount Hamiltonbarely survivedthe SCU Lightning Complex fires , and now the same terror has come to Kitt Peak in Arizona . Lick has played an outsize role in the history of uranology , but the younger Kitt Peak now has more and larger opthalmic telescopes that have played a part inrecent discovery , as well as receiving set dishes that mold part ofmajor web . We do n’t yet know how well that will continue .
Major observatory have always been somewhat vulnerable to fire , since they involve to be placed on the cover of mountains well away from city lights . Unless the top is above the timberline or is so volcanic almost nothing farm there , fire can sweep up the slope to threaten the observatory . In 2003 most of the buildings atMount Stromlo Observatorywere mislay to a major flak .
The compounding of rise temperatures and the southwest US’smegadroughthas increase the threat to the area ’s many observatories , so it ’s not really surprising the two major mental hospital have been hit in less than two years . or else , it ’s plausibly more of a sign of things to come .
Update : NOIRLab is now reporting the flaming around Kitt Peak is likely controlled but keep on to ramp elsewhere . memory access to the site remains limited , hindering movement to assess the harm .
rectification : This article previously list the wrong emplacement for the Lick Observatory
