Observing the Stars

After our tour of the solar telescope, we had dinner and then we watched the sunset from the top of Kitt Peak, which is at an elevation of about 7,000 feet.  As it got darker, we did some binocular astronomy and then at about 10 PM Dean arranged for us to use an excellent 20 inch telescope in a dome at the visitor center.  This scope gave some of the best views I have ever had of galaxies and star clusters.  This is a view out the slit of the some, with the top half of the scope silhouetted against the stars.  The stars were incredibly bright, because we had less air to look through, and because we are more than a mile high.