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this trip is very much to check out the town, to get a feel for the pace of life there, etc. So what are some "can't miss" parts of Socorro? Restaurants, attractions, shops that are integral to the town's experience. Any suggestions?
I have not been to Socorro in almost 10 years. Two events/areas which come to mind that I don't think have been mentioned are:
Socorro Civil War Re-Enactments each February (yes, New Mexico had some Civil war action) : Socorro, NM - Official tourism and city services site (http://www.socorronm.gov/events_detail.asp?EventID=47 - broken link)
Also the Plaza Area, some points of interest: Attractions
The Enchanted Skies Star Party is held near Socorro every October, so it must not have much light pollution. If you have never been to a star party, it is where a bunch of amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and observe the galaxies, etc. I've been to the one in TX twice, and it was highly enjoyable.
The main problem with seeing details on Jupiter's moons is the Earth's atmosphere (which is why observatories are on mountaintops). You might see large features, but that's it. I wouldn't expect too much. If I lived away from city lights, I'd love to have a 16" telescope for the deep-sky objects!
There are some mountains around Socorro. I don't know whether the public can access the tops of them or not.
From my research there is a road (?) up to the Langmuir lab and the Magdalena Ridge telescopes. It may be a “little” rough but just setting up by the Water Canyon campground may be a dark as you need. Get an Atlas by Benchmark maps for more detail or “fly” the area with Google street view.
I'll throw in another vote for Bosque del Apache, but it's probably a little late in the season to see the huge masses of birds that fly stop over in late winter/early spring. Where are you possibly moving from?
The main problem with seeing details on Jupiter's moons is the Earth's
atmosphere (which is why observatories are on mountaintops). You
might see large features, but that's it. I wouldn't expect too much.
I wouldn't either, just being able to resolve a disk rather than
just seeing the 'dots' would be cool.
There are some mountains around Socorro. I don't know
whether the public can access the tops of them or not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregW
... there is a road (?) up to the Langmuir lab and the
Magdalena Ridge telescopes. It may be a “little” rough but ...
I've driven up there to the gate before. ( over 10,000 ft. )
It is, after all, a commuter road, so any passenger car can make
it up to the gate which is in the aspens with many nice flat areas
suitable for setting up your telescope.
mortimer: My old Celestron 8 will show the Galilean moons of Jupiter as different sized disks. Of course, seeing any detail on any of them is far beyond its capabilities. They are so tiny from this distance that as you say, even Hubble can't do much, being bound by the same optical laws of resolution.
GregW: Thanks for the info on the site! I hope someday to be able to put it to use.
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