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Southern Arizona, with its dark, clear skies, and three major observatories, has long been known as the astronomy capital of the world and De Anza Trails RV Resort has the distinction of having the famous Smithsonian Institution’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) in its’ back yard. As our guests gaze to the east and look up they will see FLWO sitting at an elevation of 8,550 feet on top of Mount Hopkins of the Santa Rita Mountain Range of the Coronado National Forest. The observatory is used for astronomical experiments requiring dark skies, dry climate and good, “optical seeing”. Now that the weather is warming up, the Observatory conducts guided tours for the public on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. It is an all day trip and they request you pack a lunch. The road from the visitor center to the summit is not for the faint hearted. It is a 10 mile, single-lane dirt road with few guard rails. Reservations are required and are based on first-come first-served basis with a maximum of 26 visitors each tour day. Call 520-670-5707 – tours fill up well in advance. For those of you who don’t think you can stomach the drive up to the summit or handle the high altitude there is plenty to take in at the visitors’ center at the foot of Mount Hopkins. The center features displays and exhibits on astronomy and astrophysics, natural science and cultural history – they discovered petroglyphs during construction. It is basically an introduction to the observatory as well as an orientation and nature interpretation for recreational users of the Coronado National Forest. They offer popular evening programs such as their “Star Party” where visitors can gaze at the stars with telescopes provided courtesy of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and the Sonoran Astronomical Society. Amateur astronomers are invited to bring their own telescopes to the “Astronomy Vista”, a special observing site with concrete pads and benches along a knoll at an elevation of 5000 feet. For
further information on their array of telescopes log
onto
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/flwo/
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