Dark Skies and Space Tourism in Southern New Mexico
Interested in astronomy and planning a trip? Consider visiting Southern New Mexico. Here's some info to hopefully make trip planning easier and more enjoyable. You can click the map (to the right) to view a larger version.
Weather
The desert southwest enjoys favorable observing weather most of the year. Winter days are mild; nights are usually clear with temperatures near freezing. Snow is a rare treat. Spring brings occasional winds which can bring dust storms. There are usually just a half dozen or so 'blow-outs' during March/April. Most days are warm with pleasant nights.
Summer essentially begins in May with temperatures often climbing into the low 100's by the end of the month. May and early June usually offer low humidities and clear night skies. From the end of June thru the beginning of September we experience our rainy season. Humidity increases. Clouds build during the day with T-storms firing up many evenings. There's often some clearing late, but transparency is compromised.
Fall is arguably the best season for dark sky viewing. October and November tend to be dry months with warm days and comfortable nights.
Dark Sky Sites
1) Leasburg Dam SP - 16 miles north of Las Cruces. Decent (Bortle 4) Skies. Views to the north and west are best. Camping w/ facilities. Park is on the Rio Grande River which flows from around May/June thru September (depending on the year's rainfall). Observatory on site with 16" f/10 SCT. Monthly dark sky viewing hosted by ASLC.
2) City of Rocks SP - 2 hours from Las Cruces (1 hour from Deming). Bortle 2 Skies. Camping w/ facilities at a very unique location. Small light domes are visible for Deming and Silver City area. ADA-capable telescope in a permanent observatory on site. Monthly dark sky viewing program hosted by ASLC.
3) Rusty's RV Park - 2.5 hours from Las Cruces (30 minutes south of Lordsburg). Bortle 2 Skies. Camping w/ facilities. Some campers may be rented. Other than an occasional (rare) ranch light, the valley is very dark. Many amateur astronomers stay here, and most folks keep are respective by keeping their camp lights to a minimum. Nearby hiking/camping/birding at the Chiricahua National Monument.
4) Cosmic Campground - 3.5 hours from Las Cruces (90 minutes from Silver City). Bortle 1 Skies. Primative Camping. This campground is designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary by the IDA. Other than the very faint skyglow from an Arizona mine, Cosmic Campground's sky is about as pristine as it gets. Services available in Alma and Glenwood (lodging is available in Glenwood). 33.4799°, -108.9228°
4a) Cottonwood Site - 2.5 miles NE from the Cosmic Campground. An alternative dark sky site to the Cosmic Campground in the event that the campground is full or closed. No facilities. 33° 31’ 15”, 108° 36’ 9”
5) Yost Escarpment - Approximately 19 miles from the Upham Exit (exit 32) on Interstate 25. Take exit and head north(ish) on a good paved road. Bortle 2-3 skies depending on the direction (light dome low in south from Las Cruces, El Paso, Juarez). Spacious parking area. 32° 55' 44", 107° 00' 19". One of our members made a video of the drive out there. Additional information can be found here: Yost Escarpment (nps.gov)
6) Corralitos Road - The road (initially County Rd C009) is accessed off the frontage road running along the north side of Interstate 10 between exits 132 (Las Cruces Airport) and Exit 127 (Corralitos Road). Bortle 3-4 skies. The area is a bit west of Las Cruces so avoids some of the southern sky glow originating from the El Paso/Juarez area. There are several unmarked places to pull off and observe. It's best to get up the mountain a ways. Drive past the radio station and astronomy dome. No facilities. 32° 27’ 22”, 107° 6’ 20”
7) Akela Area (ish) - The area consists of ranch land about 33 miles west of Las Cruces (about half-way to Deming). Take Interstate 10 to exit 116 and stay on North side following frontage road to the NW. Take County Road C001 for 5.9 miles, take a left at the fork in the road (PowerLine Road). Go about .1 miles for various turnoff areas. No facilities. Bortle 2-3 skies with a good view to the south. 32°17’ 40”, 107°16’ 47”
Attractions
A) Sunspot Solar Observatory - Sunspot Solar Observatory is one of the finest of its sort in the world. The Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope tower may be easily seen from the Tularosa Basin, 30 miles away – it extends some 200 feet above ground, and goes even further underground. It is still being used for research, despite more high resolution instruments being brought online in Hawaii. There other domes on the grounds, including one containing a coronascope, and another that began life as a grain bin, ordered from the Sears-Roebuck catalog. There is an excellent small museum on site, and brochures for a walking tour of the facility which is encouraged by the staff. The buildings themselves are not generally open to the public, but group tours may be arranged in advance. The grounds are lovely, forested and green, and the drive to Sunspot, on NM Hwy 6563, is beautiful, especially in the autumn when the aspens turn bright gold.
B) Apache Point Observatory - Just a few miles from the Sunspot Observatory, the Apache Point Observatory is home of the 2.5 meter Sloan Digital Sky Survey Telescope and the 3.5 meter Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) Telescope. There are no public tours and minimal exhibits, but visitors may walk around the wooded grounds and look at the facility. The view of the Tularosa Basin from the facility is impressive. There are a few picnic tables.
C) Very Large Array (near Socorro, NM) - One of the world's foremost radio observatory facilities, the VLA can be found about an hour's drive west of Socorro, NM. There is a small visitor's center and gift shop. A self-guided tour is available, and you can walk by the infamous control room featured in the 1997 film, Contact. Actually, the control room used in the movie was a fake and no longer exists. You get to walk by the real thing. Watching all of the disks move in unison toward their next target is awesome.
D) New Mexico Museum of Space History (Alamogordo, NM) - The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a museum and planetarium complex in Alamogordo, New Mexico, dedicated to artifacts and displays related to space flight and the space age. It includes the International Space Hall of Fame. The facility also features an IMAX theater which shows science & nature films
E) International UFO Museum and Research Center (Roswell, NM) - The International UFO Museum And Research Center is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States, in the downtown district, and is focused largely on the 1947 Roswell Crash and later supposed UFO incidents in the United States and elsewhere.
F) Clyde Tombaugh Observatory (NMSU campus) - ASLC operates a dome on the NMSU campus that encloses a 12" telescope. The scope was built from a rocket body acquired from White Sands Proving Ground. It is guided by a 1895 Grubbs of Dublin gravity driven mount. The facility is open once a month (during the academic year) on the Friday evening closest to the first quarter moon. See the ASLC home page for upcoming viewing opportunities.
G) Space Murals Museum and Gift Shop (Organ, NM) - The museum consists of a 1,200,000 gallon water tank with murals circling the tank. The murals depict the progress of the U.S. Space program. Near the water tank is a 1/8 scale replica of the Challenger Shuttle, a V-2 rocket and other artifacts. The adjacent 6,000 sq foot museum houses donated artifacts from the space program, photographs, related newspaper and magazine articles. Additionally there is a mock-up of the Mercury capsule and a video showcasing astronauts. The museum also houses a small gift shop with items specifically related to the space program and space exploration.
H) Spaceport America - Spaceport America is a FAA-licensed spaceport located on 18,000 acres of State Trust Land in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin in New Mexico, United States directly west and adjacent to U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. It's about 45 miles from Las Cruces. Tours (leaving from Truth of Consequences) are available on most Saturdays.
J) White Sands Missile Range Museum - The museum traces the origin of America's missile and space activity including the accomplishments of early rocket scientists like Dr. Wernher von Braun and Clyde Tombaugh. Outside the museum is a missile park displaying a variety of missiles and rockets tested at White Sands. To enter the museum, tell the guard at the gate that you wish to visit the museum. S/he will direct you.
K) Clyde Tombaugh Memorial Stained Glass Window (Las Cruces) - Created by Arthur J. Tatkoski and dedicated in 2001, the five-paneled window is eight feet tall and eighteen feet wide and is located on the east side of the art gallery of the UU Church of Las Cruces, where it catches the morning light. Its theme is the universe and our solar system, interspersed with depictions of Tombaugh’s childhood in Kansas, his passion for teaching, and his work with rockets, telescopes, NASA, and the White Sands missile base.
L) Carlsbad Caverns National Park - The world-famous caverns have been visited by millions. The walk down into the caverns (thru the natural opening) is an incredible experience - as is the nightly bat flights during the summer months. The park also boasts many miles of hiking trails. Recent fracking has brightened up the skies around the NP, but the view south is pretty nice. The park hosts occasional astronomy events.
M) Gila Clif Dwellings National Monument - The popular tourist spot has been home to various nomadic people for thousands of years including the Mogollon culture, who used and improved the cliffs for some decades. The road into the dwellings is slow and windy. Tours and camping are available. The NM enjoys pristine (Bortle 0-1) skies. The area is also a popular starting point for hiking and backpacking trips into the Gila Wilderness.
Need more info?
Send an email with your questions to info@aslc.org. One or more of our knowledgeable members will get in touch with you.
Last review - 29Jan2023
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