Puzzle Description:

This is the radio telescope at Kitt Peak Observatory west of Tucson, Arizona. See the comments for more detailed description.

#1: Teresa K (fasstar) on Sep 15, 2009 [SPOILER]

The details in the puzzle image are hard to describe. It is best to take a look at the photo:

http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Images/Travel_Article_Library/Arizona-Learning-Vacations/Kitt-Peak-Observatory-Daytime.jpg

Here is an aerial view of the entire observatory complex at Kitt Peak where you can see the typical dome shaped telescope enclosures, as well as the radio telescope:

http://home.fuse.net/coldspringobservatory/KPNO.jpg

Kitt Peak Observatory was built on land owned by the Tohono O'odham nation. Kitt Peak is considered a sacred mountain. From Kitt Peak you can see Baboquivari Peak 12 miles south, which is also sacred to the Tohono O'odham people.

http://arizona.indymedia.org/uploads/2005/06/baboquaveri_peak_in_arizona.jpgbxxwy3.jpg

I drive by Kitt Peak on a long stretch of road out in the middle of nowhere, on my way to Sells to do trainings on the reservation about Fetal Alcohol. It is very beautiful terrain with desert and mountains and clear skies.

Here is a link to an interesting story of how the Tonoho O'odham people came to allow the observatory to be built there:

http://www.noao.edu/outreach/kptour/kpno_tohono.html

You can visit the observatory in the daytime, but you can also visit at night, as an observer of the telescopes, staying in the same quarters as the astronomers. You can also stay as a participant with the freedom to use the telescopes to search the skies and photograph stars.

This was fun to solve. I admit I had no idea what this was, even after reading the description. After viewing your wonderful links, however, it made more sense. Thanks!

Thanks, Adam. I wasn't really happy with the image - too small to have good detail, and not recognizable to anyone who is not familiar with this. But the photos and info on the links are so interesting, I just had to publish it.

Thanks for your entry!

Fun solve. Confusing image.

Again I was educated from your puzzle. thanks :)

Until I read the description I thought it might be a grain elevator. Now it makes sense.

fun to solve!

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