The Valley's largest telescope arrived in Fountain Hills this week. Photo: Courtesy of International Dark Sky Discovery Center
The largest telescope in metro Phoenix landed in Fountain Hills this week as the town prepares to open its International Dark Sky Discovery Center next summer.
Why it matters: The facility, which will also include a planetarium, theater and exhibit hall, aims to bring a world-class science center to the Valley to educate the public on the "importance of protecting the vanishing night sky."
Fountain Hills earned a dark sky designation from DarkSky International in 2018.
State of play: The 27.5-inch PlaneWave CDK700 is equipped with advanced astrophotography cameras and had to be installed via crane.
It will be available for public viewing when the center opens next year and used for research and education.
What they're saying: "With this telescope, visitors will be able to see planets, galaxies, nebulae and more in incredible detail," the center's education director Dania Wright said in a statement.
