NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, Astronomy, Telescopes, Star Gazing,, Big Island

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NASA Infrared Telescope Facility

The IRTF is a 3.0 meter telescope, optimized for infrared observations, and located at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawai`i. The observatory is operated and managed for NASA by the University of Hawai`i Institute for Astronomy, located in Honolulu. NASA provides the costs of operation and NSF provides funding for new focal plane instrumentation through the peer review process. Observing time is open to the entire astronomical community, and 50% of the IRTF observing time is reserved for studies of solar system objects.

For more information visit NASA Infrared Telescope Facility website.

NASA Infrared Telescope - night view with moon NASA Infrared Telescope - inside view 1 Inside the NASA Infrared Telescope NASA Infrared Telescope atop Mauna Kea Pictures above all courtesy of Dr. Fred Espenak, Science Photo Library