“Lift-off” at Kitt Peak 4-m Mayall Telescope

The original 45-year-old top end of the Mayall telescope was recently removed and a new top ring placed in the dome. The ring will support new optics for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a state-of-the-art spectrometer that can measure the spectra of 5000 astronomical objects simultaneously. DESI will explore the mysterious physics of dark energy, which is believed to accelerate the expansion of the Universe.