We used Christmas gift money from Jacob's Grandma Nancy towards a "gift of experience" - part of our West Texas Adventure. We stayed a night in the Indian Lodge, and then that night, attended a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory just outside of Fort Davis. (Thank you, Grandma Nancy!) We had such a wonderful time!
The Observatory is about a 20 minute drive from the Indian Lodge, or 25 minutes from town. We arrived a little before 9pm to get ready for our Star Party!
As it grew darker, our kids enjoyed walking around and looking at all the red lights around the grounds. Why red light, you may wonder? Red light does not damage night vision as much as white light does. In fact, the staff was very firm when they asked everyone to turn off phones and camera flashes so that everyone’s eyes would adjust well for viewing the night sky, both with the naked eye, and with their amazingly huge and powerful telescopes. They have several of the world’s largest telescopes at the observatory.
As it got darker outside, and our eyes adjusted, it also seemed to get lighter. We sat in an amphitheatre on top of the mountains, with many other people, eager to see the stars. There was a short lecture as our eyes adjusted, and as the staff explained how the night would go. It was probably almost 10pm by the time the party really got started. We were able to walk around the grounds to several different set ups with the telescopes, where staff would assist us in looking at what was best seen on that particular evening. Jupiter happened to be very clearly visible that night, as well as Orion, and several other constellations. We learned to be patient waiting for our turn in line, and patient with ourselves and each other as sometimes it took a few minutes to really see what we were looking at. It was fascinating to ponder the planet which we live on, and how it fits perfectly into a great galaxy. It really is mind blowing to consider that there are many galaxies; to know that though we are tiny in the grand scheme of the Universe, we have such great worth; we are known - even numbered - to our Creator.
Our oldest two children (six and seven) had the best time. Their excitement could barely be contained! As the night progressed, however, they got a little tired. By 11:30pm, both of our younger two (3 and 18 months), were asleep and everyone was ready to call it a night. It had been such a thrill! A party under the stars, with red lights creating a warm glow, with the moon shining big, with planets in the distance, with stars seemingly winking at us as we gazed up into an unfamiliar, magical world. [excerpt from the "Stargazing" bundle article I wrote for bewildandfree.org]
Tips:
-we used THIS BOOK to prep our kids a little for the educational side of our Star Party visit - and highly recommend! It is a great book and wonderful way to take advantage of a real life learning opportunity.
-make sure to arrive early.
-the staff asks that you turn off phones and, if you choose to bring a camera, that you use absolutely no flash. please heed these guidelines as it makes the experience better for everyone (the light from a flash or from phone screens can really inhibit your sight once your eyes are adapted - and those around you).
-bring WARM clothing/blankets - even in April (which is typically already quite warm where we live in Austin) it cooled off quite a lot in the high desert and we needed to bundle up to stay warm - it's much better to be comfortable rather than cold.
-plan to stay late
-follow the driving cautions to drive slowly as the roads are windy and there is a lot of wildlife out at night.
-HAVE FUN!!!
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