The Red Tornado

Last week, I returned to the observatory for the first time since I went on leave for prostate cancer surgery in June. It’s been monsoon season here in the southwest, and the WIYN Telescope had been shut down for maintenance. One of the big jobs was recoating the telescope’s 3.5-meter primary mirror with aluminum. This is the first time the job has been done since the Contreras Wildfire threatened Kitt Peak back in June 2022. Under normal wear and tear conditions, these mirrors should be recoate...