Catching Up

The last group of Astronomers visiting the Painted Pony Resort have pulled out and all their equipment has been loaded on the truck and shipped back to Canada.  The truck picking up the equipment had a problem finding the estate at night, primarily because of the lack of lighting and he missed the turn off Highway 80.  Dark skies make the location attractive for astronomy but not for location finding at night.  But a trip out to the highway to meet the tractor trailer tuck solved the problem.  The 2 - 800 lb crates were loaded and the driver was off.  Fortunately, the estate has a loop road which means the big trucks do not have to turn around when delivering or picking up making their jobs easier (and mine).  The big lessons learned, 800 lbs is the maximum the tractor can lift onto a tractor trailer tuck and old 1 1/2" ratchet straps are useless.  But new 2" ratchet straps, chains, and a come along certainly help.

Here is a link to one of the visiting Canadian astronomers astronomy page where images taken at the Painted Pony Resort will appear.

800 lb crate of astronomy equipment ready for loading

Lunar Eclipse 2014

Astronomy is favorite pastime of some guests at the Painted Pony Resort and the resort attracts astronomy groups looking for clear night skies with southern views.  The San Simon valley, lying between the Chiricahua and Peloncillo mountains in southwestern New Mexico, provides such an observing opportunity.  All-Star Telescope is just one of the groups making yearly visits to PPR for the observing opportunities in the remote high desert.  During their visits, the 50x50 hanger is converted into base of operations for the astronomers while the wives and other family members enjoy the comforts of the estate, creating an environment where everyone is accommodated and feels comfortable.

Not being an astronomer, but with the encouragement of guests, I tried my hand at some simple photographs of the first lunar eclipse of the year visible in the U.S..  I took the opportunity to get out with my simple point and shoot digital camera, view the eclipse, and try for some images.  The full moon rise over the Peloncillo moutains was large and bright and even without a tripod several photographs were captured.  Somewhat later once the eclipse started it became more difficult for the auto focus to settle in on the moon and only a couple of images were captured.  Clearly a tripod would have been a useful addition for night time photography of an object as close and bright as the moon.  In comparison to images taken from the resort that guests have shared, these first attempts only offer a faint imitation of the beauty of the night sky visible here.  Fortunately lunar eclipses are regular occurrences and there will be other opportunities to try again.

Moon rise in the San Simon valley.

Partial eclipse.

Telescopes at the Painted Pony Resort

Amateur astronomy is a popular activity in the boot heel of New Mexico and southern Arizona with a number of research telescopes such as Mount Graham International Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory in the area as well as several subdivisions devoted to astronomy.  Dark skies without light pollution combined with a good view of the southern sky has made the area a haven for the astronomer. It is one of the reasons PPR keeps the outside lighting to a minimum and flash lights are recommended when walking between buildings at night.  The Painted Pony Resort has hosted several groups of Canadian astronomers over the past 2 years who arrived with their equipment to capture images of the southern sky.  In addition, most guests have commented on the bright clear night sky in their reviews of PPR.  To supplement the family centered activities at the Painted Pony resort, 2 telescopes are now available for guests to use while in residence.  A 4.5 inch Meade reflector and a 10 inch Orion Dobsonian telescope.  The 4.5 inch telescope is suitable for point and shoot visualizations of the planets, while the 10 inch is computer controlled with a database of 14,000 objects.  Two camera mounts are also available for use by guests to try their hand at astrophotography.  A mount for digital cameras and iphones can be used with the scopes to capture images from the night sky over the Painted Pony Resort as a remembrance of their time in the San Simon Valley.

4.5 inch Meade telescope

10 inch Orion Dobsonian with computer control

Astronomers in Residence

The All-Star Telescope group has been in residence for a week imaging the sky (day and night) from the San Simon Valley. As with all guests a guided hike in the Chiricahua Mountains is offered and the hike chosen for this first group was one of the riparian hikes along Cave Creek which offers spectacular afternoon views of Cathedral Rock and the canyon walls.  The group traveled from the start of the Nature trail just past the Portal Ranger Station and emerging at Sunny Flat campground.  Then back down canyon along the road with a stop at Vista Point.  The afternoon sun illuminated the east wall of the canyon with spectacular views of Cathedral Rock.  The group found a metate along the route and spent some time creating some balancing stone artwork in the stream bed.  Just before heading back to the Painted Pony Resort for dinner the view below presented itself.  A group of upturned faces viewing the southern sky.  It appears the astronomers found themselves captured in stone in Cave Creek Canyon.

Viewing the southern sky

Cathedral Rock from the Nature Trail in Cave Creek Canyon

Night Skies at the Painted Pony Resort

The group of astronomers with All-Star Telescope that spent a week viewing and imaging the sky from the Painted Pony Resort are back safely in Canada.  But their images and videos are coming out on the web.  John McDonald of McDonald Scientific has created and posted a series of 3 videos taken at the estate.  Below is one of his videos from vimeo and links to the other 2 are below the embedded video.

These videos elegantly capture the night skies in the San Simon Valley and the rest of the bootheel of New Mexico.  This particular time lapse video was taken down by the hanger at the south end of the property and is facing south along the length of the valley.  The "First Night at the Painted Pony" (linked below) was taken in the parking area between the main house and the guest house.


Overnight sky at the Painted Pony by John McDonald from RASC Victoria Centre on Vimeo.

John McDonald's other 2 videos:
First Night at the Painted Pony
Zodiacal Lights

Astronomy at the Painted Pony Resort

Being located half way between Tucson, AZ and El Paso TX has its benefits, no light pollution.  As a result the area is a mecca for the North American amateur astronomy community.  Several commercial online telescope rental operations are located here as well as several communities dedicated to observing the night sky.  All-Star Telescope is currently in residence with a group of astronomers from across Canada. They have set up down by the hanger and everyone comes out at night for viewing and astro photography.  Here is a link to an astronomy site maintained by one of the guests.

Not to be left out many of the wives are artists and spend the day painting and sketching the landscape.  Of course the pool and hot tub have seen some action during their visit.

Telescopes by the hanger at the Painted Pony Resort

Water colors and Pen and Ink Sketching