I SAW SATURN!!!!!!!!!!!

Kitt Peak is no where near the largest observatory. It is no where near the largest telescope. But Kitt Peak does have the distinction of the most telescopes on one mountain in the world.

This houses the telescope I looked at the sun through. I saw sun spots which I learned are cool areas. I saw large hot flares shooting out from the orange ball that was the sun.  

 This houses the actual BIG solar telescope.

Made me look down!

 Yea, I looked down again.

The day was so beautiful. The domes so white and the sky so blue. I couldn't stop taking pictures. 

There was a little snow from a storm earlier in the week.

 This was SARA. I can't remember what that acronym stood for. But she was beautiful. We visited her at sunset.

Most of the viewing now is done with computers off site. The astronomer can open the domes, point the telescope and view it from the privacy of his or her own living room. These both opened as we stood watching the sunset.

 Good night SARA.

After dark the real fun and learning began.

We were taught how to use a Planisphere to locate and identify constellations. We also viewed many objects in the night sky with binoculars. We had three guides for about 40 people so we were divided into groups. The guides were all amazing. Very knowledgeable and funny and one was VERY good looking.

 The highlight. 

We looked through one of the real telescopes to view: 

        another galaxy
 baby stars,
  dying stars
   AND SATURN. 

Each time our guide would describe what we were going to see and where in the telescope lens we would see it. Each time I thought OK, this will be interesting. And each time the awe I felt when I actually saw it was beyond words.

Then... the next and last highlight. To minimize the light pollution as we left, we all had to caravan down the twisty, turny, windy, cliff on one side mountain road WITH OUR LIGHTS OFF!!!

It wasn't bad.

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