A key site for astronomy is in danger of being destroyed.
The Kitt Peak National Observatory is located in the southern part of the state and has hosted astronomy for more than 60 years. The site is facing the Contreras Fire, which started on June 11 and has been growing due to high winds.
According to a statement released later in the day by the National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), the fire broke out on Friday, June 17th.
Satellites watch fires in New Mexico.
The facility can't be assessed until the fire is out.
Officials wrote that safety is their top priority. We will let you know about the facilities as we learn more about the damage. We are currently in an active fire situation.
Last frame before the webcam cut out at the VLBA antenna on Kitt Peak. This is the next one north from the 12m I use, and of course near all the other KP telescopes that 100s of other scientists use. All of the webcams I know of on KP are now down. Waiting & hoping for good news. pic.twitter.com/p0Z8V4MinAJune 17, 2022
You can see more.
The time is 2 a.m. The ridge that holds the observatory's telescopes was crested by the fire on Friday. The telescopes are close to the rest of the observatory.
A lightning strike in the Baboquivari Mountains south of the observatory started the fire. According to a website operated by a team of federal agencies, the blaze had covered more than 11,000 acres by Friday morning. The fire was being fought by nearly 300 people.
The image is the first of three.
There is a view of the slopes of Kitt Peak. The image is from the NOIRLab/NSF/AURA.
The slopes of Kitt Peak were burned by the Contreras Fire. The image is from the NOIRLab/NSF/AURA.
There is a telescope in front of a fire. The image is from the NOIRLab/NSF/AURA.
The observatory was evacuated on Wednesday due to concerns about the fire. Firefighters covered key parts of the fire with fire retardants and cleared vegetation around key observatory buildings to try and protect them. The observatory's power was cut off early on Friday.
High winds and very dry grass and brush are making it difficult for firefighters to contain the fire. Scattered showers could help slow the fire.
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