A Bright Yet Busy Night at the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope

Even though the Moon is brightening the sky above Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the SMARTS 1.5-meter Telescope is still buzzing with activity. Because the Moon drowns out the light from fainter astronomical objects, astronomers usually observe relatively bright targets on nights when the Moon is out. At around 0:24 in the video, the shining Moon passes over the dome's slit.