New Public Science Center Opens at Kitt Peak National Observatory

Republished from NOIRLab, the U.S. National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, where it first appeared as a press release on 2025-12-17. NOIRLab press-release texts and images are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence; the text is reproduced here unchanged apart from formatting. Credit: NOIRLab. Read the original for the latest version and any updates.

Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach is a new science education and astronomy outreach center that has just opened at U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

On 16 December 2025, visitors celebrated the grand opening of the Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach (Windows Center), a new public science center at U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

On opening day, the new Center was open to the public for free. Visitors explored interactive exhibits, viewed a Science On a Sphere show, witnessed live views of the Sun, and learned about the historic importance of the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope (MMP) and the achievements of NSF-funded astronomy.

The grand opening celebration continued with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by remarks by AURA President Matt Mountain, NSF NOIRLab Director Patrick McCarthy, as well as leaders from the Tohono O'odham Nation, on which Kitt Peak is located.

Windows Center is the first science center located inside a telescope — the recently-retired McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, which has been retrofitted with interactive exhibits and educational programs focused on astronomy funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The majority of funding for the Windows Center comes from NSF, with the remaining part raised from private donations.

“America’s continued leadership in science and technology depends on sparking curiosity in kids,” says Chris Davis, NSF program director for NSF NOIRLab. “The Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach will do exactly that by igniting young imaginations with the cosmos, the trailblazing scientists who paved the way and the mysteries of the universe that are waiting for them to solve.”

MMP was operational from 1962–2017, during which it was the largest solar telescope in the world. During this time it uncovered previously unknown aspects of the Sun like finding water vapor on the Sun, mapping its magnetic field, and helping the Apollo astronauts train for missions to the Moon. The new Windows Center celebrates this vibrant history and invites the public to experience it first-hand.

By exploring the interactive exhibits and educational programs offered in the Windows Center, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the history of astronomy research and how it has led to humanity’s current understanding of the cosmos. They will experience the iconic MMP architecture and unique live daytime solar disk viewing, interactive spectroscopy, nighttime viewing of bright objects, and Science On a Sphere shows.

“We’ve created something that truly blurs the line between ‘what is a telescope’ and ‘what is a science center’,” says Peter McMahon, Kitt Peak Visitor Center Operations Manager. “Windows Center is the only place on Earth where you can experience dynamic exhibits about historic and current U.S. astronomical discoveries while standing inside the inner-workings of a massive, iconic telescope that’s played a role in groundbreaking science and world events.”

“I can imagine this being a place not just for kids, but for adults to enjoy and learn,” says Denise Flores, Chair of the Schuk Toak District of the Tohono O'odham Nation. “In the back of my mind is, of course, when Kitt Peak started way back then. A lot of our elders were there to witness its beginnings. To see what it has transformed into today is incredible.”

The Windows Center is open every day from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Come and experience this unique education center, as well as all of the other scientific wonders that Kitt Peak and the Visitor Center have to offer. A new free audio guide called NOIRLab Explorer provides a narrative in English and Spanish. Tickets can be purchased here.