Quote:
Originally Posted by nightstalker
I believe this scopes owner is retireing and going to live high in the mountains with an observatory and home built around it .
but will he truly be happy ?  ..I'm going with yes  |
Hi Nightstalker,
Indeed, the owner will be moving the scope into a new luxury home and
observatory that is being constructed.
With the MacDonald observatory up the road at about 6,800 feet, I guess the
foot hills of Limpia Crossing are at around 5,000 feet. Down the road a few more
miles is the Prude Ranch were the Texas Star Party is held.
Since it is in the protection shadow of the MacDonald Observatory, a community
of amateur observers has popped-up around the Limpia Crossing area. Here the
Davis Mountains are really a series of rolling grassy hills on the northern part of
the Chihuahuan desert. Wildlife includes Javelnia, members of the Peccary family,
which on first glance John Bambury and I mistook for wild bore, but they are their
own class of animal. A large variety of hummingbirds can be found and they are
relatively commonplace but always exciting to watch. Some Limpia Crossing
residents spot the occasional Mountain Lion which makes for going to and
from the outdoor observatory a potentially interesting experience.
Relatively free of light pollution, far enough south that you can drive to Mexico
for lunch and a community of like minded observers makes the location that the
48" will be housed in idyllic by North American observing standards.
I can tell you now that the owner, Jimi, is as excited as we would be if the scope
were ours and he is a very avid visual observer.
At the nearby MacDonald Observatory, one can rent time on the 82" and apparently
many of the amateurs in the area have formed a group and done this from time
to time. I have been told the prices and it may have been around US$2000 per night
but one would need to check with the observatory for pricing details.
Best Regards
Gary
