March 15, 1996
Every birthday is a reminder that you are made of the same material as the stars overhead — carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all cooked in stellar...
The McMath-Pierce Solar Observatory
Birthday · March 15, 1996
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published March 15, 1996. Credit: Bill Keel, University of Alabama. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
This odd-looking structure silhouetted in the foreground houses the three largest solar telescopes in the world. Located in Kitt Peak, Arizona, the largest telescope inside the McMath-Pierce Facility is 1.6-meters in diameter and contains only mirrors. The telescope contains no windows or lenses because focusing bright sunlight would overheat them. Visible in the background of this sunrise photo are the Moon and Venus. The telescopes are used in many research projects including determining the Sun's structure, researching the cause of the solar corona, monitoring Sun-spots and solar flares, and observing bright planets and comets near the Sun. The telescopes even help monitor the Earth's atmospheric content of ozone and CFCs! Information: The Scale of the Universe Debate in April 1996
Image credit: Bill Keel, University of Alabama