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Page 3 |
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Proceeding to another
mountaintop, we arrived at the Gemini South 8.1 Meter Telescope. This is
a twin of the Gemini North telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii and is truly
an impressive telescope. Once inside, we were immediately struck by was
how cold they maintained it inside the dome,
+10° Celsius per a wall thermometer. We were also overwhelmed by the
sheer size of this telescope as it towered over us.
We finished the tour by visiting the mirror
coating facility and the administrative offices before heading |
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Gemini South Telescope
Photo by Bob Stephens |
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down the
mountain. This was not to be a sunset visit, as we had something else in
mind - a visit to the Cerro Mamalluca Community Observatory where we would
have a chance to view some southern objects. This private observatory,
located a 1-1/2 hour drive from the coast, has a Meade 12” LX200, a 14-inch
Dobsonian and a 10-inch Dobsonian. We had to share the observatory with
several other groups visiting on a Monday night, but still got great views
of some of the southern deep sky objects such as the Large Magellanic Cloud,
the Small Magellanic Cloud, the Tarantula Nebula, and 47 Tucanae. This was a
real treat for both experienced observers and first timers alike. |
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The observatory
leg of our tour now over, we left to meet up with the bulk of our group
for a tour of the Patagonia region. First, we transferred flights in
Santiago and took a quick tour of the city. That tour included a stop at
the Presidential Palace and the Plaza de Armas. Then, it was back on the
plane again for a late night arrival in Punta Arenas. It was a curious
sight to see the skies getting lighter as we flew farther south. By the
time we arrived at 11:30 PM, the skies were still not completely dark,
yet the Southern Cross was easily seen 30 degrees above the horizon. |
| Punta
Arenas Photo by Bob Stephens |
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With the morning came a dash up to Puerto
Natales, the halfway point to Torres del Paine.
Along the way, we stopped at a
rest stop and met a pet condor named Pepe. Later we stopped at the Cave of
the Milodon, where remains of a sloth-like creature that lived 10,000 years
ago were found.
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Pepe
the Condor Photo by Bob Stephens |
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Copyright 2003 TravelQuest
International. All rights
reserved. 800-830-1998
Revised: December 20, 2006.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies or trademark holders. |
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