Observatories of the Southwest : A Guide for Curious Skywatchers (9780816536689) by Isbell Douglas; Strom Stephen E. & Stephen E. Strom

Author:Isbell, Douglas; Strom, Stephen E. & Stephen E. Strom [Douglas Isbell & Stephen E. Strom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arizona Board of Regents
Published: 2015-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

A trailhead, restrooms, and picnic area developed by the Forest Service and located just outside the main gate are open twenty-four hours a day. There are benches, grills, and a hardened wheelchair-accessible path that leads to vantage points overlooking Montosa Wash, a deep drainage running parallel to the site. A kiosk at the trailhead provides information about camping and hiking.

Special public star parties featuring lectures and telescope viewing are held quarterly at the visitor center on Saturdays, starting late in the afternoon. Amateur astronomers are invited to bring their telescopes to the Astronomy Vista, a special observing site with concrete pads and benches that was installed in 1984 along a knoll at an elevation of 5,000 feet, approximately 1.2 miles east of the visitor center on a paved road. Here, within sight of the MMT, amateurs may take advantage of the same clear, dark skies so important to professional astronomers. (Access to telescope pads requires climbing a short, but somewhat steep, unpaved trail.)

Reserved-seat bus tours, originating at the visitor center, are conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from mid-March through November. Reservations are required and can be made in advance by calling the visitor center. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis up to a thirty-visitor maximum. Tickets are purchased on the day of the tour. Tour participants should dress warmly, bring lunches, and be prepared for moderate exertion at high altitude.

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