The Enchanted Skies Star Party
October 2-5, 2013 | Socorro, New Mexico, USA
"Make no mistake about it -- the skies are wonderful. Hot, dry, days make for clear, steady skies, and ESSP participants cheerfully brag of spotting 7th-magnitude stars from the campsite at Pound Ranch. After dinner, when the clouds had cleared and the Moon had set, the Milky Way glowed overhead like a giant storm cloud."
Carolyn Collins Peterson - Sky & Telescope, February 2001
One of the highlighs of the Enchanted Skies Star Party is a night of observing atop Socorro County's South Baldy, part of the Magdalena Ridge and home to the new Magdalena Ridge Observatory. At an elevation of 10,600 feet, it is a prime astrophotography and observing location! There is a MANDATORY meeting of all those going up, held at Etscorn Campus Observatory. This meeting will discuss important safety concerns for mountain driving, high altitude health, and the conditions expected that night. Oxygen is always on hand in case of altitude sickness, and a paramedic should be on hand, too. After the meeting, a convoy will depart from Etscorn Observatory at ~5:00 p.m. for the observing location. There will be a convoy going back down to Socorro which departs at midnight, so be sure to bring plenty of food and lots of extra water if you plan on staying all night! Bathrooms, snacks, and hot drinks will be available. The temperatures are sure to be much colder than in Socorro, with wind, so be sure to have appropriate cold weather clothing with you.
As a registered participant, you will also have access to an insider's tour of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array, located ~45 miles West of Socorro. The VLA is currently undergoing a transformation into a new research instrument: the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). Scheduled to be completed in 2012, the new state-of-the-art electronics and software will have completely transformed the VLA into a much more capable research tool with more than ten times the VLA's current sensitivity. This transformation will ensure that the VLA/EVLA will remain one of the best radio telescopes in the word.
On Saturday, the last day of ESSP, a Southwestern style dinner is prepared and served at the Fort Craig National Historic Site, ESSP's official "Dark Sky Site." The cost is only $25, and includes a second helping! Guests sit around an open camp fire while listening to some festive music. After dinner, a special Campfire Lecture is given, often about Native American tales of the night sky while the sky fully darkens. Observing at Fort Craig often goes well into the mornings at this very dark site. Dinner will be served around 5:00 p.m. and the Campfire Lecture begins at 7:00 p.m.
The Frank T. Etscorn Campus Observatory has been a central location for the Enchanted Skies Star Party since our beginning in 1994. Dedicated in 1993, Etscorn Observatory is run by the New Mexico Tech Astronomy Club. The observatory is surrounded on three sides by a tall earth berms to help block as much of the light pollution from Socorro as possible; Socorro is a small town, but one can generally see the Milky Way from any location in town(!). The observatory has several telescopes, including a 20" dobsonian inside the 15-foot dome, a 6" takahashi FS-152 with CCD (on loan from the Summer Science Program) , a C-14 with a CCD under the roll off roof, several smaller dobsonians, and a 2nd C-14 with CCD in a small dome.
Portable telescopes can be setup both inside and outside the berm. There is 110VAC power available inside the berm area.
Many of the lectures and presentations are given from Etscorn Observatory's auditorium. Friday night's observing has traditionally been open to the public, and features some of our key talks, including: the Bill Spargo Memorial Lecture: Learning the Constellations, Beginner Astronomy and an introduction to astrophotography. All registered participants are allowed to set up their campsites around the outside of the observatory's berms. For more information about camping (and other accomodations) while attending ESSP, please see the accomodations page.
Fort Craig, established in 1854, was one of the largest and most important frontier forts in the West. Set in the rugged beauty of Socorro County, N.M., it was one of the eight forts situated along the primary north-south road in the Rio Grande Valley. Fort Craig played a crucial role in Indian campaigns and the Civil War. Military excursions from Fort Craig pursued such notable Apache leaders as Geronimo, Victorio and Nana. The Fort has a rich multicultural history, full of stories of courage, honor and sacrifice. The Fort was home to Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry and 38th and 125th Infantry, the predominantly Hispanic New Mexico Volunteers and New Mexico Militia, and household names like Kit Carson, Rafael Chacón and Captain Jack Crawford.
Picked as ESSP's official "Dark Sky Site," this location privides the observer with dark skies with low light pollution, electrical outlets, and a quiet place to set up camp! Registered participants are allowed to camp at the Heritage Center for the duration of the star party, if they choose. Fort Craig does not offer any food services, so be sure to bring pleanty of food and water if you plan on an extended stay.
Fort Craig is also the location for Saturday night's Chuck-Wagon Diner, Campfire Lecture and observing. Please contact Judy Stanley, NRAO/VLA Education Officer at (575) 835-7243 for more information about camping at the fort.
New Mexico is one of the world's leading centers of astronomical research. The state is host to two national observatories, three national laboratories, and three state universities that operate vigorous astronomy programs. In addition, Apache Point Observatory is the site of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and, along with the National Solar Observatory, operates a popular visitor center for the public. Amateur astronomers from around the world plan vacations to take advantage of New Mexico's dark skies, now protected from light pollution by a state law enacted in 1999.
Socorro hosts the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which operates the world-famous Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescopes. The VLA Visitor Center welcomes visitors from around the world all year long. Socorro's New Mexico Tech, a nationally-recognized research university, has recently completed the 2.4 meter telescope that comprises part of the new Magdelena Ridge Observatory, which sits atop South Baldy (10,500 feet), about 25 miles from town. MIT Lincoln Labs operates the LINEAR observatory a few miles southwest of Socorro, which has broken all records for discovering new asteroids and comets.
Socorro also is the ideal starting point for your astronomical vacation tour, less than a day's drive from McDonald Observatory in Texas as well as the Lowell Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
From the first year, the Enchanted Skies Star Party has featured an outstanding lineup of great speakers, including both professional and accomplished amateur astronomers. Our speakers have included researchers, educators, authors and astronauts, among many others. Enchanted Skies Star Party participants have heard speakers from: