Red Lights and Starlight at Kitt Peak
Set against the rolling background of starlight, the red lights of the Visitor Center 0.5-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is a curious sight. Why is the telescope glowing red? To observe effectively during the night, astronomers need their eyes to be well-adapted to the dark. To preserve this adaptation, they use red light which doesn't disrupt their night vision capabilities as much as other colors of light would.
Credit:KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos
About the Video
Id: | Visitor-Center-0-5m-Clip2-CC |
Release date: | Sept. 26, 2023, 1:52 p.m. |
Duration: | 14 s |
Frame rate: | 29.97 |
About the Object
Name: | Kitt Peak Visitor Center, Visitor Center 0.5-meter Telescope |
Category: | Kitt Peak National Observatory |