At the base of the tunnel is a 34-inch parabolic mirror that captures the image of the sun.
Aerial view of the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope.
The telescopes observation room and instruments are located underground to avoid the temperature fluctuations that occur aboveground.
The McMath-Pierce Telescope is used to study the structure of sunspots, as well as sunspot spectra.
The telescope is named after astronomers Robert McMath and Keith Pierce.
