Local newspaper El Defensor Chieftain published a feature article explaining some of the astronomy research that happens at the MRO's 2.4-meter telescope. Here is an excerpt from the article, with a link at the bottom to the full article. 

An object from outside the solar system is moving in mysterious ways that some think it’s artificial.

A decaying Russian satellite is showing signs of crashing down to earth.

A NASA rocket launches from Spaceport America about 100 miles away.

Keeping track of those objects are all a part of a night’s work for astronomers Eileen and Bill Ryan, who operate the 2.4 meter telescope at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory at an altitude of 10,600 feet on top of South Baldy in the Magdalena Mountains.

“We are one of the largest telescopes in NASA’s network,” Eileen Ryan said during a tour …

Click here to read the full article at the Chieftain website.