(10-13-09): Today we drove over to the Fort Davis area from Alpine, TX and up to the McDonald Observatory for a tour. We went on the 2:00 p.m. tour of two of the telescopes there. Our tour guide, Rachel, was just wonderful and you could tell that she loved her job. We drove back down the mountain for dinner at the Bear Den at the Indian Lodge and then back up the mountain for the 8:30 Star Party that evening. With no moon the sky was really dark in this part of the US. What a show the stars and Milky Way put on for us. We saw several satellites crossing the sky. They had set up 6 different telescopes and we carefully walked in the dark from one to another to gaze at several different stars and Jupiter. After, we sat in the dark outside and they pointed out different things in the night sky using a laser light. It is so dark in this part of the country and that is why the stars are so visible. We left there about 10:30 and got in bed just before midnight--tired but amazed with what we got to view tonight!
Looking Out from the Top of the Mountain where the McDonald Observatory is Located--No Man's Land
Beautiful Day With Beautiful Clouds Behind One of the Telescopes (5th Largest)
Inside the Silver Domed Building (Flat Array in Center Left in Pic)
Same Telescope from a Distance
Another Telescope that We Toured
Our Tour Guide, Rachel, and the Telescope that She was Demonstrating
Another Smaller Telescope that We did Not Tour
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