(520) 318-8200 (Recording)
(520) 318-8726 (Information)

Kitt Peak National Observatory is located 90 minutes west of Tucson Arizona on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. The observatory is home to one of the largest collections of optical telescopes. It houses twenty-two optical and two radio telescopes representing dozens of astronomical research institutions.

The Kitt Peak Visitor Center is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s day. Guided tours are offered daily at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. and group tours are available by appointment. Tours are approximately one hour long.

To see Kitt Peak in action, come visit the observatory at night. The Nightly Observing Program is an introduction to planispheres, constellations, binocular viewing, and a state-of-the-art 16 inch telescope.

The Advanced Observing Program offers the amateur astronomer a chance to observe using a large telescope with state-of-the-art instruments. No experience is required. Reservations for these two programs need to be made in advance.