University of Arizona

While in Arizona we visited the campus of the University of Arizona, one of the schools Anna is interested in attending.  We had a campus tour, as well as a tour of some of the dorms.  Since she is interested in astrobiology we also did a tour of the mirror lab (we were already familiar with it as we had listened to a lecture at the Bruneau Star Party.)

Our student guide was very excited (as well as the rest of the campus) that the football team had just beat the Oregon Ducks.

These pictures are from the Mirror Lab that make mirrors for telescopes.  These are being made for the largest telescope in the world that will have a combined seven mirrors in one telescope (in Chile).  Below you can see one mirror that is ready to be polished.  It has a 27 foot diameter.  It takes about five to six years to make one mirror.

This is the furnace that spins and melts the glass to make the mirror.  The process is innovative and interesting and developed at the Univ. of Arizona.

The big large red ring is how they move the mirror from the furnace to other areas of the lab.  The lab is under the football stadium.

The University of Arizona is a large school but we were impressed with the campus in that it didn't feel overwhelming or too big.