Magdalena Ridge Observatory

Magdalena Ridge Observatory

2.4-meter Telescope at Magdalena Ridge
Organization	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Observatory code	H01
Location	Socorro County, New Mexico, US
Coordinates	33°58′36″N 107°11′06″W / 33.9767°N 107.185°W / 33.9767; -107.185
Altitude	3,230 m (10,600 ft)
Established	1999
Website	www.mro.nmt.edu
Telescopes	MRO Optical Interferometer MRO fast-tracking Telescope
Location of Magdalena Ridge Observatory
Related media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) is an astronomical observatory in Socorro County, New Mexico, about 32 kilometers (20 mi) west of the town of Socorro. The observatory is located in the Magdalena Mountains near the summit of South Baldy Mountain, adjacent to the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. Currently operational at the site (since 2008) is a 2.4-meter fast-tracking optical telescope,^[1] and under construction is a ten-element optical interferometer.

The MRO Interferometer is an international scientific collaboration between New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech – NMT) and the Cavendish Astrophysics Group of University of Cambridge. The project is principally funded by the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), which also supports the Navy Optical Interferometer near Flagstaff, Arizona. NRL is part of the Office of Naval Research.^[2] New Mexico State University, New Mexico Highlands University, the University of Puerto Rico, and Los Alamos National Laboratory were originally partners, but have since withdrawn.^[3]