The Contreras Fire , which has been raging through the Arizona mountains since last week , has strain Kitt Peak National Observatory , jeopardize the site ’s telescopes .
Kitt Peak National Observatory is an astronomical research adeptness turn up on the country of the Tohono O’odham Nation in the mountains of Tucson , Arizona , and the lookout is run by the National Science Foundation ’s NOIRLab — the National Optical - Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory . wildfire have been burning across the American Southwest recently , and the Contreras Fire has made its path to the lookout station . NOIRLab said in apress releasethat the fire started as a lightning strike , while the mountainous terrain and eminent winds in the surface area have made firefighting difficult . According to theArizona Emergency Information connection , the Contreras Fire has scorched intimately 11,500 acres as of June 16 with no sign of slow up .
“ The Contreras Fire reached the lookout early Friday morning . We are working with fire fighter at the situation to assess possible impairment , ” the observatorytweeted today . “ NSF ’s NOIRLab is deeply grateful to the firefighters work at the site and for the support of the Tohono O’odham biotic community at this challenging time . rubber stay on our top priority . ”
Fire began approaching Kitt Peak Thursday night.Image: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
allot to the observation tower ’s press acquittance , region of dry skirmish and trees were elucidate at the southerly ridge of the sight in monastic order to forestall the fire from spreading up toward the facility . Likewise , planes drop blast - retardant on the sphere in the hope of protecting the observatory , which was constitute in 1958 , and might was shutoff this morning . Fire crested the SW ridge of the mountain at 2 a.m. MST , threatening four telescopes : the Hiltner 2.4 - meter Telescope , the McGraw - Hill 1.3 - meter Telescope , the Very Long Baseline Array Dish , and the UArizona 12 - meter Telescope . The latter is operated by the University of Arizona and is part of the Event Horizon Telescope , which bring about the first image of a disastrous hollow .
It ’s already a destructive wildfire season , and this scientific enquiry place may be the new casualty . flak earlier this month inGreecethreatened suburbia of Athens , while theCalf Canyon / Hermits Peakfire became the largest fervor in New Mexico account in May .
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Part of the Contreras Fire burning on the slopes of the Kitt Peak mountain on early morning June 17. In the foreground NRAO’s Very Long Baseline Array Dish is seen.Image: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Kitt Peak National Observatory has been studying the night sky since 1958.Image: NOIRLab/KPNO/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld
