Sunspot, NM

Recently we took the scenic highway to Sunspot, NM. 

The white in the distance is White Sands - made from the gypsum that washes down from the mountain and then blown to pieces by the wind.

Note the Caution - you are at an altitude of 9.200 feet
Please Walk Slowly. 

The solar observatory has been in existence
since 1947. 

There are instructions on how to use this
but it was too scientific for me. 

This telescope was originally used at
the South Pole research station. During
the "summertime" the sun is visible around
the clock making it a great place to study
long-period oscillations. 

The John Evans Solar Facility, aka Big Dome,
first came into operation in 1953 to study
the sun's surface. The dome rotates automatically
to follow the sun. It ceased operations in 2015.

The Richard B Dunn Solar Telescope
is a Vacuum Tower Telescope. It was 
inaugurated in 1969 as the world's premier
high spatial resolution optical solar telescope.
It was also used as a testbed for new
adaptive optics and instrument development
for the Daniel Inouye Solar Telescope
which became operational in Hawaii in 2020.

Sunspot Scenic Overlook

There are a couple of plain looking buildings
that service as machine shop and laboratory.
Pieces for that Solar Telescope in Hawaii were
crafted here. 

When the observatory was first in operation the 
scientists were on regular solar patrol pretty much out
in the open. In 1950 the Grain Bin Dome was 
built to house their telescopes and equipment for 
monitoring radio communications. This was used
while they were waiting on funding for the Big Dome
shown above.

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