ForTheGibsons

ForTheGibsons

Star Party at the McDonald Observatory

We spent this evening at the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains. At somewhere around 8000 ft., it gets a little chilly when the sun goes down. We are sitting here waiting to hear the presentation portion of the Star Party.

We got to view some objects through the telescopes at the observatory. We saw M57, M11 and Jupiter with three of its moons.


M57, which is the gaseous remnants of a sun much like our own was interesting.








M11, which is a star cluster was quite clear.












An amazing feat since it is 6000 light years from earth. Jupiter was cool because of the bands (2 black bands) but the three viewable moons was more impressive to me. I also learned that the great red eye or storm is starting to run itself out. But not to worry: a new storm on the planet is taking its place.



What I did not know was that our atmosphere does not allow one to view objects like Jupiter in color. The view through was all in black and white.

One of the most interesting events was the arrival of a meteor during the Star Party. The night suddenly lit up as though it was early evening. We all looked at the direction of the light and saw a meteor in its last stages of burning up. While I have seen a number of meteors in the sky, this is the first time I have seen a meteor at the end of its life less than 100 feet off the ground. The meteor sounded something like a very fast car approaching. The staff of the observatory told us the these types of encounters are fairly common and that the larger meteors sound like a freight train approaching.

All in all, it was a good night and a good visit to the observatory. I think the boys enjoyed it. Jason seemed mesmerized by the size of the universe. Jon-Jon seemed overwhelmed with everything. Josh liked the hot chocolate. Karen was thrilled to look at Jupiter. The whole reminded of when and why I used to dable in astronomy when I was younger. It is a fascinating discipline.

I would recommend a visit to the McDonald observatory if you are ever in the Fort Davis area. The observatory is quite impressive and the staff do a wonderful job.

Jason Searching for Rocks

One of the things we always enjoy doing on our trips is looking for rocks that are "cool" looking. Today's cache includes several pieces of calicite, limestone, crystal and the "hot dog" rock that Joshua found. This rock has the shape of a hot dog in a bun.

Jason found a few rocks to add to his collection on this trip in a river bed like the one in this picture or in one of the rock stores in the area. Josh and Jon-Jon both found some rocks for their collections which tend to focus on more aesthetic qualities such as how much they look like a hot dog.

I suspect we will come home with 40 or 50 pounds of rocks from this. While most of our finds will have little to no real value to the rest of the world, these rocks help us remember the places we went and the fun we had.

Big Bend National Park - Day 3

Crossing the Rio Grande - Yep, we were actually in Mexico but don't tell the Border Patrol















The hike into Santa Elena Canyon is surprising tropical. The Rio Grande provides the much needed moisture to the canyon and allows for some great shade at the opening to the canyon.

















This is the view as you enter into Santa Elena Canyon .


















After the short trip (approx 30 minutes) into the canyon, a much needed break was taken along the river running through the canyon.

















A view back to the Rio Grande once you are inside Santa Elena Canyon


















A brief stop in Castolon after leaving the canyon allowed us to grab some snacks, drinks and visit the house where a friend of mine at work was raised as an infant while her parents ran a general store out of this building.

















After a long day on the road, we were finally back at the cottage for a much needed rest and a break from the heat of the desert floor.



















End of Day 3.

Big Bend National Park - Day 2

After a good night of rest, we set out on the Window Trail at the park, not realizing how long of a trek it would be. Fortunately for us, we had done some research prior to our trip and brought good, wide-brimmed hats and lots of water. So, we set off on the Window Trail, a 5.6 mile hike. You can see our destination, the Window, in the background.

The Window trail is great but the last mile is rough. After such a long, tiring trek, the last mile is uphill and really takes it out of you. We did make it but all of us were very tired at the end of the trip.

The view through the Window into the Chihuahan desert was spectacular but a little scary when you realized how wasy it would be to fall over the side of the mountain.



















After the long hike, we retreated to our cabin and attempted to interact with the deer that frequented the cottage area. About as close as we could get was five feet but the boys loved being this close to an animal.


















Much to our enjoyment, the second day ended with another beautiful sunset over the Chihuahan desert that was viewable through the Window in the Chisos Mountain Basin.
















End of day 2.

Big Bend National Park - Day 1

Our Summer journey began at the entrance to Big Bend National Park. Upon arriving at the park, we stopped to take the obligatory picture at the front gate and then proceed to Fossil Rim. Since we arrived at the park at 4PM, it was extremely hot. Needless to say, the heat made our visit to Fossil Rim dramatically shorter as no sane person would have the desire to stand around in heat like that trying to look for the locations for fossils that are over a mile away.

Once we arrived in the Chisos Mountain Basin, the beauty of Big Bend was apparent.
The temperature was around 80 degrees and the trees, flowers, mountains, and wildlife provided a pleasant backdrop for our stay.

After dinner in the restaurant, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and getting to know the other "campers" at Chisos Mountain Lodge.

End of Day 1.

Our Summer Vacation

We are about to go on vacation to Big Bend and Ft. Davis, Texas. We will be hiking, swimming, horseback riding, rock digging, star gazing, and basically have a good time relaxing and playing with the kids. As we discover interesting places, people and things, I will be posting them on this web site.

David