Walking Around Observatories

One of my favorite parts of being an astronomer is going on observing runs and collecting new data. I love nearly everything about it – the stars at night, the technology of the control room, and even the surreal sleepiness around 3 or 4 in the morning when you’ve been working for 10 hours and have several more to go. One of the little joys that come with observing is walking around the observatory. Most telescopes are separated from the dorms in which the astronomers and observatory staff sleep, sometimes by up to a few kilometers. To get around, observatories generally provide visiting astronomers with a car. This is certainly quick and convenient (especially considering observatories are at altitude), but I always love walking instead of driving.

There are generally three opportunities for walks at observatories, each with their own appeal. First are the afternoon walks. Since you’re working at night, you sleep during the day, and so afternoons become your “morning”. If the nights are short (i.e., during the summer) there can be enough time to go for a hike on trails near the observatory. Otherwise, you may need to go to the telescope to do afternoon calibrations and setup for the night ahead. This is a nice time to be out – the sun is shining (hopefully!) and you can enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains.

The second opportunity to walk to the telescope is between dinner and sunset, when the work begins. Good sunsets generally mean less-than-ideal observing conditions (nice sunsets need clouds!), but either way, it’s a nice walk up – you can enjoy the clear sky as the sun dips below the horizon or take the consolation prize of a fiery sunset exploding across the sky and bouncing off the snow-capped peaks in the east. That the walks to the telescope are uphill and at altitude forces you to take it at a slower pace, providing more time to enjoy the quieting night.

But my favorite by far are the morning walks back to the dorm. After a long night of sitting inside the control room, it is so refreshing to wind things down with a short walk under the slowly brightening sky. Things are generally still and quiet, the only sounds being your footsteps, perhaps a gentle breeze, and the occasional whirring of motors as the telescopes around you close their domes. Dawn is beautiful in the mountains and walking gives you a few minutes to watch light slowly spill over the mountains and into the valleys around the telescope. If you were unlucky with the weather for your observing, a consolation prize will be the vibrant colors of sunrise. The walk permits you to see the sky brighten and slowly overwhelm all the stars. It lets you watch the visible planets fighting to be seen using the Sun finally crests the mountains to the east and turns the sky into the light blue of day.