ARO 12m Radio Telescope

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ARO 12m Radio Telescope

Alternative names	ARO12m
Part of	Kitt Peak National Observatory
Location(s)	Arizona
Coordinates	31°57′12″N 111°36′54″W / 31.9533°N 111.615°W / 31.9533; -111.615
Altitude	1,914 m (6,280 ft)
Telescope style	radio telescope
Diameter	12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Website	aro.as.arizona.edu/12m_docs/12_meter_description.htm
Location of ARO 12m Radio Telescope
Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The ARO 12m Radio Telescope (ARO12m or KP12m) is a 12-meter dish located on Kitt Peak, approximately 60 mi (97 km) from Tucson in Arizona at an elevation of 6,215.8 ft (1,894.6 m).

The original dish was built in 1967 under the umbrella of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). At that time, it was 36 feet (11 meters) in diameter and was known as the 36-foot Telescope. In 1984, it was renovated with a new backup structure and a slightly larger dish. At this point its name was changed to the 12 Meter Telescope.

In 2000, the NRAO passed control of the telescope to the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona had been operating the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) located on Mount Graham since 1992. When it took over operations of the 12m, it created the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO), a part of Steward Observatory of the UArizona College of Science, which now runs both telescopes.

In 2013, the entire antenna (dish and mounting) was replaced with ESO's ALMA prototype antenna, which had been located in New Mexico. The new antenna is the same size (12 meters) but has a much better surface accuracy (thereby permitting use at shorter wavelengths), and a more precise mount with better pointing accuracy.

This table displays some of the characteristics of the telescope and the site.^[1]

In the almost 40 years since it was first built, the 12m Radio Telescope has been at the forefront of millimeter molecular astronomy: studying molecules in space through the use of molecular spectroscopy at millimeter wavelengths. Many of the molecules that have been discovered in the interstellar medium were discovered by the 12m.^{[citation needed]}

• List of astronomical observatories
• Lists of telescopes

• Media related to ARO 12m Radio Telescope at Wikimedia Commons
• ARO's Wiki Page
• Official Web Site of the ARO