39 replies to this topic

[JWBriggs]

Dear Friends:

 

We can report interesting news regarding ESSP 2024 that will run Thursday-Sunday, October 3-6.  In what we believe is a major development for the event – now in its 31st year since being started in 1994 by staff from New Mexico Tech and NRAO's VLA –  the event will, for the first time, operate at the Montosa Ranch Campground located on the north side of Highway 60 and only eight miles from the center of the VLA.  The rustic but spacious Campground is in a juniper forest typical of the Magdalena area and offers very dark skies; greatly expanded infrastructure; wonderful room for all observers; a number of RV hookups; a small number of motel-like accommodations; kitchen and rustic dining facilities; excellent setup for a swap meet; and particularly, a very nice contemporary building to serve as our lecture hall, all at an altitude of 7,120 feet. 

 

For those of us who knew the long-running Riverside Telescope Makers Convention at Camp Oaks near Big Bear, California, the environment at the Montosa Ranch is in many ways similar, but with much darker skies.

 

Magdalena Astronomical Society, Inc., was created to become a new steward of ESSP and achieved 501©(3) status in 2017.  Most recently, ESSP operated at Top of the World Land (TOTW), an astronomically friendly subdivision near Pie Town, New Mexico, that features many private observatories and an increasing number of impressive Internet-access astrophotography facilities.  It was fortunate that ESSP was able to run at TOTW through the recent pandemic, when operation had to be unadvertised and limited to a small number of local astronomers.  TOTW will continue to be a popular site for Catron County star parties and ongoing astronomical development.  And by the way, astronomers all along Highway 60 gather for "Astronomers Breakfast" on the 3rd Saturday of every month, 10:00 AM, at the Eagle Guest Ranch Cafe in Datil, not too far west from the VLA.  All are welcome, and reminders are posted on the free-to-everyone MAS news & discussion list, detailed here:
https://groups.io/g/mas-astro

 

The new Montosa site was first explored for ESSP years ago when our beloved late members, Dr. Dan Klinglesmith and Bob Pody, were still with us.  We believe ESSP has the potential to grow into a major national astronomy event.  The key factors are the spacious expanse of the place; its affordability; its altitude and very dark skies; its proximity to professional research facilities and to a strong local amateur community; the greatly expanded infrastructure compared to ever before; and the encouragement of the Montosa owners, Dale & Gale Armstrong, who have both served as our local state representatives (Mrs. Armstrong currently), and who are very pro-education. 

 

We hope that astronomical societies across New Mexico and the whole Southwest will become involved with ESSP in coordination with other excellent events, to grow and expand opportunities for experience, education, and enjoyment.  As the Albuquerque Astronomical Society's perfect motto goes, "Observe – Educate – Have Fun!"

 

Antoine Ribaut is the current president of MAS, Inc., and Charles Blaylock is the 2024 ESSP Chair.  Wini Labrecque is the ESSP Registrar.  Additional program and registration details will be posted soon.

 

With apologies for cross-postings,

 

--John W. Briggs, 2024 ESSP Program Chair
Member, TAAS and MAS

[hboswell]

Is there a website for the campground?

 

Harry

[JWBriggs]

The camp has not been very actively used in recent years, I don't think, so I don't believe a business website is up to date.  So the burden will be on ESSP to document the site anew for people to start coming and learn about it.  We believe folks will really like it, and momentum will build at this site!  More details and registration information will be forthcoming.   Cheers!    --JWB.

[Napp]

Sounds like a great location.  I just wish the star party was longer - like 7 nights.  Hard to justify a several day trip each way for a 3 night star party.  Something to think about if you want to grow it into a major.

[JWBriggs]

Thank you for the comment, Napp!  Last year, when we were running ESSP at the "Top of the World" subdivision near Pie Town, New Mexico, we scheduled for five days.  The event was very successful, and we were lucky with excellent weather.  But most folks proved interested only in the first several days.  

 

We realize that a longer event is necessary to make it worthwhile for people coming a long way.  But for this year, at the new site, we figured we'd take it in modest steps, and thus we're planning for only three nights.  I'm pretty confident we'll ramp it back up longer, as soon as folks, through actual experience at the new site, understand its potential.

 

Cheers--

--JWB.

[Napp]

I’m glad to hear you are planning to extend the star party in the future.  I went to the Texas Star Party a couple years ago.  The sky was amazing!  I’d love to go t a site 2000 feet higher in elevation than Prude Ranch.  Hopefully I’ll be going out west again next year.

[steveastrouk]

The camp has not been very actively used in recent years, I don't think, so I don't believe a business website is up to date.  So the burden will be on ESSP to document the site anew for people to start coming and learn about it.  We believe folks will really like it, and momentum will build at this site!  More details and registration information will be forthcoming.   Cheers!    --JWB.

Hi John

 

I found "some" web presence - on the WayBack machine - last updated 10 years ago. I should be able to go out and take pictures for you - maybe a big panoramic ??

 

Happy to help, as I've said.

 

Steve

[blueplanetphoto]

I'm looking forward to more information and a site link. I'm interested in being a speaker, if that's available. 

[steveastrouk]

I'm pretty sure this is the location

https://maps.app.goo...H6DvGKu3Kj48286

[JWBriggs]

Yes, Steve, you have the correct location in the Google Earth link.  Folks, remember to switch it to the satellite layer to see the buildings and features.  

 

An editor has created a post from several of the recent ESSP announcements, including a good drone aerial view, here:

 

https://scopetrader....tar-party-2024/

 

Further official information will be posted ASAP.

 

Cheers-

 

--JWB. 

[lwbehney]

This is very interesting. Does this Montosa Ranch site have accommodations, such as small cabins etc. for the comfort of family members up in years who may not be keen on tent camping?

[Matt Lindsey]

I'm going to try to make it our for this star party during my annual fall trip out west.  I came through that area last fall for the annular eclipse after visiting Big Bend NP, and the skies were fantastic, the area was rustic and scenic, and I have some unfinished business at El Malpais and Chaco Canyon, so a shorter star party suits me just fine, and in fact is what I personally prefer.  The new site looks terrific so far!

[Glutch]

Is there an option to arrive early by a couple days? 

[JWBriggs]

Hi Folks!

 

Montosa Ranch Camp has a very small number of motel-like rooms that, given how few there are, will "go" lightning fast.  So I fear that the location will be overwhelmingly for people with trailer campers, RVs, and tents.  The RV hookups are also relatively limited in number.  Our members have just inventoried them and checked the water & electricity at each one, noting the electrical connections available, etc.  These details will be made clear when we open registration.  I myself have a small trailer camper.  I'll simply park it between a couple of the small trees! 

 

I think what folks will like most about this site is its spacious nature.  It reminds me of the old RTMC site at Camp Oaks, near Big Bear, California.  

 

I'm going to post several drone images showing the site and the general surroundings.  I'm also posting a Milky Way shot recorded by Dr. Robert Q. Fugate, who is confirmed to be among our featured speakers in 2024.  Bob retired as director of the U.S. Air Force Starfire Optical Range where he lead the team that pioneered laser guidestar adaptive optics.  In his retirement, he's become a master astrophotographer, and we're very proud to have him connected to ESSP.  Check him out, personally on the cover of Sky & Telescope magazine, standing with his 3.5-meter telescope!:  (May, 1994, issue:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/134516604327 )

 

Regarding the idea of arriving early:  I don't think that will be possible at the Montosa Ranch Site.  But there are LOTS of options nearby for anyone interested to arrive early in the general region.  

 

We look forward to opening registration for ESSP 2024 as soon as possible!

 

Yours truly,

 

--John W. Briggs,

ESSP Speakers Program Chair

  for the

Magdalena Astronomical Society, Inc.

Album: ESSP 2024 Site

6 images

0 comments

Edited by JWBriggs, 20 June 2024 - 09:15 PM.

[steveastrouk]

What do you anticipate the capacity of the star of party will be John ?

[JWBriggs]

Hi Steve,

 

I think we're planning to limit registration to about 125, and I'll need to defer to our meeting chair and to our registrar.  But that's my recollection from the most recent planning discussions.  125 was our maximum at an earlier ESSP site.  The new site will be a whole new ballgame, and we just want to give ourselves some experience before the event expands too much.  In the future, the site could handle a much bigger crowd, if the all-volunteer event organization can mature enough to handle it.

 

My own hunch is that this site has HUGE potential to become a large and long-running star party – continuing & outliving most if not all of us!  At least, I sure like to hope so!   

 

It's quite dark; it has easy access (only about 115 road miles from the Albuquerque airport); it has pretty high altitude at about 7,120 feet; and it has LOTS of space for tent camping and small RVs that don't need full hookups. 

 

It's also cool to be so near the VLA, which is about to undergo a significant expansion.  And for the adventurous, there are observing sites over 10,000 feet altitude within a very short drive from the site (Mount Withington).  (I've seen and recorded extraordinary seeing at some of these sites – much better than an arc-second!)

 

(I've also rolled my wife's pickup near the same place, so one has to be careful!)

 

I doubt that the general character of the site will change or degrade very fast.  It's getting brighter everywhere – but here, we're still close to the darkest possible in the continental United States.  So we have a way to go.

 

This year, however, will be a bit degraded just because of the normal enhanced sky glow from our timing near solar maximum.  One can really notice those changes and normal cycles here. 

 

--John

(who was lucky to attend Stellafane as a kid for for first time in 1971!).

Album: Briggs Truck in NM Forest Pothole

1 images

0 comments

[radial195]

Any word yet on when registration will open? I'm so looking forward to this!!!!

[steveastrouk]

Yes. I'm looking forward to this too. I pass the site everyday - vistas are amazing.

[radial195]

Registration is open! You have to go to their groups.io site to register. I registered this afternoon!

[steveastrouk]

Ah ! Enchantedskies.org is also open

[Dan Crowson]

The site mentions some cabins but I don't see any info on those? Trying to register doesn't give an option for them.

[JWBriggs]

Hi again Folks– 

 

I'm sorry that the very limited number of motel-like rooms at the Montosa Camp got taken almost immediately when registration opened.  The site is nice and dark, but the compromise is the reality of rural New Mexico – where much is rustic, and everything is distant!

 

But we believe this new site for ESSP, now in its 31st year, has wonderful long-term potential.  We don't want to compete with other events, and we regret how we're conflicting with the schedule for the excellent Okie-Tex event, which is very popular for members of the Albuquerque Astronomical Society.  The seasonal effects in the Southwest are limiting, however.  We get high winds in the spring.  And if we were to schedule in September, we'd have a greater chance of being in the tail-end of the summer monsoon season that starts in early July.  Later than October, it begins to get pretty cold at night at the altitude of our local high desert. 

 

But I believe there's an increasing all-round demand for events like this as more people enjoy astronomy.  We're seeing a neat influx of interested people moving into New Mexico's "Highway 60 Dark Sky Corridor," as we call it.  ESSP will likely remain an event mainly for hard-core enthusiasts who can handle camping.

 

Cheers!

 

--JWB, writing for the 

Magdalena Astronomical Society, Inc.

[Opie Taylor]

As an every new moon resident of Datil, NM (just west of the VLA), I can vouch for the dark skies in this area.  To me, they do rival the OTSP in Kenton, OK - about the same, but with much more elevation.  There is a slight light dome to the NE from Albuquerque however.  

I've never heard of the "Highway 60 Dark Sky Corridor" before - interesting....  

[ClownFish]

I’ve been asked on Facebook if there will be any youth friendly talks or events?

This person wanted to know his 10 year old would enjoy it.

[Etrsi_645]

Just signed up for the dispersed camping. It will be my first time attending!