Ray Smartt
The Sunspot Astronomy and Visitor Center was formally dedicated in April of last year, the culmination of several years of planning by the principal partners in this project: the National Solar Observatory, NOAO, the Apache Point Observatory, New Mexico State University, and the staff of the Lincoln National Forest. Considerable assistance in different aspects of the development of the Center has also been provided by the New Mexico State Departments of Tourism, Highway and Transportation, and Cultural Affairs, with technical assistance also from the local International Space Hall of Fame. Initial funding was obtained from the State of New Mexico, with matching funds from the Federal Highway Administration (the initiative was eligible for consideration for FWA/ISTEA construction funds since it lies at the terminus of a National Scenic Byway).
The Center has a conference room, gift shop, and exhibit area. The ongoing development of science exhibits emphasizes educational value, especially for school-age children, but also for the general public. The overall scheme reflects the different areas of scientific interest of the two observatories and of the US Forest Service, with principal emphasis on solar astronomy. Educators stress the value of interactive-type exhibits and, where feasible, exhibit designs are of this type.
Visitors first encounter a five-foot-diameter, extremely accurate sundial and a solar light-feed for a spectrograph within the building (this light feed was originally used as a solar telescope at the South Pole for solar oscillation measurements). Inside, the story line starts with things of some familiarity (the day-night cycle from the Earth's rotation, including the identification of the tropic latitudes; the relationship of the sizes of the Sun and the Earth; the reason for blue skies and orange sunsets; the seasons; measurement of the Sun's brightness; and the concept of the precession of the Earth's axis). The full range of the electromagnetic spectrum is also presented, which emphasizes the wide spectral coverage of modern astronomical systems, while other exhibits provide an elementary introduction to some of the tools of astronomy. Some of the properties of light as they relate to astronomical methods are also illustrated. Two panels will discuss early astronomical observations in the Americas, as well as key ideas and discoveries in the history of astronomy. The solar system is then presented with a variety of exhibits, including one or more meteorites. This leads the visitor to solar astronomy, featuring NSO and space observations. This part of the sequence of exhibits includes a virtual walking tour of Sac Peak and a spectrographic presentation of the solar spectrum with a solar disk image. This is followed by the study of the planets, stars, and galaxies as illustrated in the Apache Point Observatory exhibit, which includes a diorama of the 3.5-m telescope facility. Finally, the visitor walks through the USFS exhibit that illustrates the difference in forest plant species according to north- and south-facing slopes, other phenomena associated with the level of insolation, and the sensitivity of the immediate forest environment to climate variations and human activities. Throughout the exhibit, backlit panels and video presentations illustrate various aspects of the story line. While some of this work is being carried out through external contracts, the development of most of the exhibits continues to rely principally on the technical expertise and direct involvement of various members of the NSO/SP staff, some of whom have carried out different tasks on a purely volunteer, after-hours basis.