NASA Infrared Telescope Facility

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NASA Infrared Telescope Facility

Location(s)	Hawaii County, Hawaii
Coordinates	19°49′35″N 155°28′23″W / 19.8263°N 155.473°W / 19.8263; -155.473
Observatory code	T13
Diameter	126 in (3.2 m)
Website	irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu
Location of NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
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[edit on Wikidata]

The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (NASA IRTF) is a 3-meter (9.8 ft) telescope optimized for use in infrared astronomy and located at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. It was first built to support the Voyager missions and is now the US national facility for infrared astronomy, providing continued support to planetary, solar neighborhood, and deep space applications. The IRTF is operated by the University of Hawaii under a cooperative agreement with NASA. According to the IRTF's time allocation rules, at least 50% of the observing time is devoted to planetary science.^[1]