The 15-Meter New Technology Telescope Site Evaluation Program

This paper describes the Site Evaluatibn program currently in progress for the 15-Meter National New Technology Telescope. The data obtained in this program will supersede or augment earlier tests in the critical areas of sub-arcsecond seeing evaluation and suitability for infrared astronomy. Synoptic comparisons will include sites representative of two, possibly three, distinct high altitude environments: 1) Mauna Kea in Hawaii, surrounded by a large body of water, 2) the Pinaleno Mountains in Arizona, surrounded by a low-level southwestern desert, and 3) possibly a site in the coastal region of Chile. Concurrent observations with identical equipment are planned over a two year interval.