ahhh. . .beautiful clear skies. . .sunshine. . .and 61*
should be perfect for our night at the McDonald Observatory
but first let’s drive the Scenic Loop around Fort Davis
massive boulders just pop up. . .seemingly out of nowhere. . .
where did they come from?
with grasslands all around them?
we crossed over numerous cattle guards
as the highway twisted, turned, and climbed
through private ranches along the way. . .
All I can tell you is. . .these folks live a long, long way from civilization. . .
our first view of the McDonald Observatory as we come up over the hill. . .
it’s on top of the two mountains to the left. . .
there. . .is that better?
We did not visit these three telescopes,
as they are designed for daytime viewing of the sun. . .
which we did not arrive in time for. . .
but shall return to do in the future. . .
We had purchased tickets for the night time Star Party. . .
and wow. . .I must say. . .it was fabulous!
Dave and I may have a new hobby. . .
attending Star Parties at Observatories. . .
We were able to make the rounds of five telescopes.. .
we saw one planet.. .Uranus
one comet. . .can’t remember the name of it
several nebulus fields. ..
(I think I’m saying that right!)
I believe I can now recognize a few additional stars and galaxies. . .
and as our guide explained.. .many of these are visible with a really great pair of binoculars. . .
so as the weather warms up. . .and we get further into the desert. . .
I do believe I will be spending some additional time “stargazing.”
Of course there are no pics. . .it was TOTAL darkness
so I did not even try. . .
however. . .you can click HERE to see some
amazing images taken by the professionals. . .
I was able to get this one glorious shot of the moon
as it popped up from behind the mountain. . .
We really, really enjoyed the experience. . .
See you next time at Big Bend. . .just a quick day trip. . .
Weather is still not the best. . .but sooooo much better than a few days ago. . .
’til next time,
Janice and Dave
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