Welcome to Sacramento Peak
A nice day trip out of El Paso is up to Cloudcroft, then hang a right southbound to the National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, atop Sacramento Peak. Ursula and I have lived in El Paso for over three decades, but this was our first visit to Sunspot.
Visitors Center
As you drive south from Cloudcroft you pass signs along the way that are distance-wise proportionally to scale with our solar system, with the entrance to the National Solar Observatory representing the Sun, and Cloudcroft as Pluto. You know you’re getting close when you pass inside Jupiter.
Distance markers along the way
Outside the Visitors Center you’ll find a rather unique solar clock . . .
Sun “Dial” with a Twist
. . . that also acts as a calendar. As you can see the following picture was taken just before 3:00 P.M. on November 29. No word on who winds the mainspring.
Solar Calendar
Approaching the Visitors Center you’re greeted by a very ol’ sol’.
Sunny Disposition
Inside the Visitors Center is a gift shop and museum with lots of fun facts and exhibits.
Inside the Visitors Center Museum
After the Visitors Center its a trek up to the various observatories, including the main John W. Evans Solar Facility (the inside of which you’ll see on Wednesday).
The structure that houses this solar telescope is quite a sight, it’s stark white exterior jutting upward against the deep blue New Mexico sky.
Dunn Solar Telescope
Beyond the Evans facility, deep in the heart of the Lincoln National Forrest, you can see the White Sands National Monument in the distance.
White Sands beyond Tall Pines
And if you’re lucky, the Sun is not the only star of the show.
Lunar Intervention
We’ll take a look at other sights around Sunspot on Wednesday and Friday. Until then here’s one more shot looking out onto the valley below:
Lincoln National Forest
By the way, if you’re reading this and other material authored by me on The Destinary website, this post was not “Posted on (fill in the date) | By destinary” as they’ve been erroneously claiming; this material was in fact reposted. The Destinary have also been claiming the right to do so, without links back to the original and without full attribution (“by RDoug” and a nonworking link is not proper attribution) with a rather bizarre interpretation of U.S. copyright law in which they claim I’m responsible for changing my RSS feed settings so that they cannot skim my material for commercial purposes. That would make reading my blog less convenient for you, which I’m not willing to do. As such, I’ll be running this little diatribe on all travel related posts until they cease and desist, along with this:
© 2015 R. Doug Wicker (RDougWicker.com)
All right reserved — that includes you, Destinary
Final note: Considering The Destinary is a site listed as owned by Sonia Bosquez-Platt of Indianapolis Tour & Travel, you may want to rethink doing business with either her or her company.
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