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Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) is a division of Steward Observatory, the research arm for the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, in the United States. It is located in southeastern Arizona's Pinaleño Mountains near Mount Graham. During development, it was first called the Columbus Project.
 The Large Binocular Telescope is visible on top of the ridge, right of center. At the center, the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope are visible in the full-size image. | |
| Alternative names | MGIO |
|---|---|
| Organization | |
| Location | Mount Graham, Graham County, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 32°42′05″N 109°53′31″W / 32.7013°N 109.892°W |
| Altitude | 3,191 m (10,469 ft) |
| Website | mgio |
| Telescopes | |
  Location of Mount Graham International Observatory | |
 Related media on Commons | |
Construction of MGIO began in 1989. MGIO currently operates and maintains facilities for three scientific organizations. The first two telescopes, the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope began operations in 1993. The Large Binocular Telescope, one of the world's largest and most powerful optical telescopes, began operations using mirrors independently in 2004, with joint operations between the two mirrors beginning in 2008.[1]
Public tours of the MGIO are conducted by the Eastern Arizona College's (EAC) Discovery Park Campus between mid-April and mid-October (weather permitting and subject to reservations).[citation needed]
The construction and current presence of the structures continues to be a site of controversy for environmentalists, University of Arizona students, and Indigenous tribes, as the Observatory is built on grounds sacred to and ancestrally used by Western Apache peoples. To environmentalists, the concern was primarily the endemic Mount Graham red squirrel. Several news articles mention that the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council passed formal oppositions to the building of the telescopes[2][3] and a 2021 article details a brief history of the mountain leading up to its acquisition as an astronomical research facility. The long and bitter reputation of the observatory has made its mark, its name taking place alongside other projects that have presented similar struggles between Indigenous peoples and scientists such as the Mauna Kea Observatories.[4]
List of facilities edit
- Large Binocular Telescope operated by the Large Binocular Telescope Corporation.
- Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope, operated by Arizona Radio Observatory.
- Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope, operated by the Vatican Observatory.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Large Binocular Telescope Achieves First Binocular Light" (Press release). Large Binocular Telescope Corporation. 2008-02-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25.
- ^ "The Fight for Dzil Nchaa Si An, Mt. Graham: Apaches and Astrophysical Development in Arizona". www.culturalsurvival.org. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ McDonald, Kim A. (17 July 1991). "Indian Tribes Object to Mount Graham Observatory". Chronicle.
- ^ "Star Struck: The Astronomical Abuse Of Indigenous Sacred Sites | Mount Graham Coalition". mountgraham.org. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
