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