apache point observatory

Scenic drive out to Sunspot and you should swing by if visiting the Solar Observatory. Be careful on single lane road, but it is very easy drive up to telescopes. Can only see the outside of telescopes. Box in parking lot has brochures of the site. Neat little picnic site with a couple of tables.

This observatory has 4 telescopes. One drives out Sunspot Scenic Byway almost to the end (starting in Cloudcroft) and makes a left turn before reaching Sunspot. This is a one lane road, but with occasional turnouts, should a car come in the opposite direction. It may be as much as a mile long. There is parking for perhaps 20 cars when one arrives. There are 2 picnic tables and a sign saying that you shouldn't stand there when there is lightning. The view is spectacular. As far as I know there are no tours and one can only see the telescopes from the outside. There is a signboard at the parking area which has a small attached metal box containing brochures explaining the observatory. It is run by New Mexico State University for a consortium of universities. There are some buildings which must be for technicians. As far as I know, the researchers don't need to come here. All the data is sent to them over the internet and they can analyze it at their home universities.

This Observatory is run by New Mexico State University for a consortium of universities. The road is one lane (a turn off from the Sunspot Scenic Byway, very near Sunspot), with a few pullouts to let oncoming traffic pass. There was no traffic when we were there on a Sunday. When you get to the observatory area there are a couple of picnic tables with a great view and sign that warns you not to stand there if there's lightning. You can see the outside of the telescopes, but there are no tours, just a brochure that tells you about it, located in a metal box on a sign near the parking area (for perhaps14 cars). We had been there one other time several years back. I remember being told, at that time, that there's no need for researchers to come to the observatory that all the data is sent to them at their home universities via computer link, but there must be staff who run it. There was one car there that was parked closer to the telescopes and several buildings, but perhaps being Sunday, we didn't see anyone. But the view is great.