One of the things I love about Chaco is the incredibly dark night sky, the kind that absolutely takes your breath away. I was willing to bundle up and brave temperatures in the low 20's on a night in early December, just to look through telescopes at a sky that magically cleared after days of stormy weather. Our handful of hearty souls was gifted with views of Jupiter and its moons, the Andromeda Galaxy, several nebulae (often looking like beautiful and whimsical creatures), Comet Holmes, and, of course, a brilliant Milky Way.
The Chaco Observatory is pictured to the right (photo from the NPS Chaco Night Sky Program website - do check it out).
I love the story my friend, Park Ranger G.B. Cornucopia, tells of one visitor's amazement at the Chaco night sky:
"Once, several years ago, while I was on duty at the front desk, a young woman who had camped the night before approached me and excitedly reported she had seen 'something in the sky last night' and wanted to know what it was. I readied myself for a discussion about UFOs, but she continued, 'It was like a lane of white powder that stretched from one horizon all the way across the sky to the other horizon!' It then became my great joy to report to her that for the first time in her life she had actually seen the 'Milky Way' - a term she had heard before, but had never witnessed!"
When you are at Chaco, you must attend the Night Sky Program, usually held (except in the winter) on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights once it gets dark. It includes a fascinating presentation, then a chance to look through several telescopes, manned by enthusiastic astronomy volunteers.
It always takes my breath away to see a magnificant night sky that seems so rare these days. G.B. reminds visitors to find any opportunity to find a dark bit of sky, and look up in wonder. When was the last time you did that?
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