Visit Us Remotely Now Because Kitt Peak National Observatory is Closed to Onsite Visitors.
We have restarted our online remote imaging and online astrophotography workshop programs! Please use the links below to see how you can enjoy the night sky over Kitt Peak from the comfort of your home and improve your image processing skills.
All public programs and tours are suspended during the COVID-19 outbreak. Do not travel up the mountain road for any reason or by any means. Please revisit this website periodically for updates.
Kitt Peak is happy to announce our on-line PixInsight workshop! Hosted by award-winning astroimager Casey Good, the workshop is intended for the astrophotographers who would like to improve their processing skills by learning how to use PixInsight. We assume no prior knowledge of PixInsight and teach as if it is your first time using the program.
This one-day course will be taught online via Zoom, with the whole class on a shared data set to learn the process. That evening we will use Kitt Peak’s remote telescopes to acquire a new dataset (weather permitting) which will be available early the next morning.
Topics Covered
Price $249. Only 16 spots available. Reserve your spot soon!
Your instructor, Casey Good, has been teaching Kitt Peak’s astrophotography classes since 2016, where he developed courses based on the needs of today’s hobbyist, having started out as one in his backyard. Casey has been recognized internationally for his work, having been awarded over twenty Astronomy Pictures of the Day awards from NASA, Amateur APOD, Astrobin.com and has been published in other outlets. In 2019 he was recognized as one of Insight’s Astrophotographer of the Year, having two awarded images on display at the Royal Greenwich Museum in London.
Learn the basics of astro-imaging. Dates TBD
Learn how to capture the beauty of the heavens at the world-renowned Kitt Peak National Observatory! The Introduction to Astrophotography workshop is meant for those who are ready to take their first steps into the world of astrophotography and image processing. We will introduce you to the different aspects of the hobby, from planetary and solar imaging to landscape astrophotos and finally, deep space astrophotography. Our hands-on program will teach you the basics of image capture through digital processing, with equipment suggestions for every budget and tips from our experienced astrophotographers. At the end of this three-day workshop, everyone will leave with their own beautiful images to take home, along with the knowledge to continue their astrophotography journey. This program takes place in a telescope dome and classroom that is not accessible to wheelchairs.
This program is free to members of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Topics Covered
Types of Astrophotography
Landscape astrophotos
Making the most of your budget
Data Acquisition – Hands on at the KPVC Scopes!
Intro to Processing Software
Learn intermediate techniques for image processing. Dates TBD
Kitt Peak is proud to offer our Intermediate Astrophotography Workshop. This workshop was created specifically for amateur astrophotographers who are familiar with basic imaging techniques and want to expand their knowledge by focusing on deep space astrophotography. At this workshop, our talented astrophotographers will teach participants how to capture the wonder that is deep space utilizing advanced concepts, including equipment selection/optimization, shooting monochromatic to get color, narrowband imaging, and processing using PixInsight. Gain the tools necessary to consistently acquire quality images and make the most of every night! This program takes place in a telescope dome and classroom that is not accessible to wheelchairs.
This program is free to members of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Topics Covered
Making the most of clear skies
Advanced Equipment/CCD Theory
Data Acquisition – Hands on at the KPVC Scopes!
Image processing with PixInsight
To help prevent the spread of the virus causing Covid-19, we have closed the observatory and the mountain road to the public, and cancelled all upcoming public programs. Please do not travel up the mountain road for any reason, or by any means. If you are scheduled for programs in the next few months, please check back before traveling to Arizona, or traveling up the mountain.
Kitt Peak is first and foremost a research facility. To avoid interfering with research during nighttime programs, the Visitor Center adheres to strict lighting control procedures.
Your vehicle’s headlights will be covered. When you leave after any evening program, you will be guided by an observatory vehicle for one mile down the mountain road. After that first mile, staff will remove the headlight covers for you.
Guests may not leave the programs early except in cases of genuine emergency. By making a reservation in any of our nighttime programs, you indicate your understanding of and willingness to abide by these procedures.
No one may visit the observatory after 4:00 P.M. unless registered for a nighttime program.
