RV REVIEW
The Visitor Center at the base of Mount Hopkins is home to Smithsonian-quality exhibits ranging from a three-dimensional model of galaxy distribution in the universe to a touchable topographical map of the Santa Rita Mountains. Also to be seen are models of several of the observatory’s multiple-mirror telescopes. A 20-power telescope and wide-field binoculars are installed for visitor use on the Center’s outdoor patio. Those seeking a closer look at Whipple’s seven telescopes can join a 6-hour bus tour to the summit of 8,550-foot Mount Hopkins. Tours require advance reservations. A final stop along what could be coined Southern Arizona’s Astronomy Trail finds us in Safford, a rugged little mining and agricultural community 127miles northeast of Tucson, off Interstate 10. Here we’ll check in at the Discovery Park Campus of Eastern Arizona College visitor center and official visitation agent for Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO). On Friday and Saturday from May through October, guests assemble at the center to peruse exhibits at the Govenor Aker Observatory and then join a seven-hour coach excursion to the towering 10,720-foot summit of Mt. Graham for a close-up look at MGIO’s three giant telescopes. MGIO is operated as the research arm of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and consists of the Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter (Radio) Telescope, the Large Binocular Telescope—the world’s most powerful telescope—and the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. You read that correctly—the Holy See does indeed have its own observatory—the stated purpose of which is to help scientists learn how stars are born. One supposes it also could be useful to keep a closer eye on heaven. When planning a visit to MGIO or other high-altitude observatories keep in mind that temperatures can drop dramatically, especially in the evenings, which suggests you bring warm clothes suitable to layering. Persons with cardiac, respiratory, or other altitude-related concerns are advised to take proper precautions. Boasting such a stellar roster of observatories and astro- related educational facilities, there’s no question the sky’s the limit in Arizona. Please check availability and prices of tours before going.
The 21-foot diameter MMT telescope is operated by the MMT Observatory (MMTO), a joint venture of The Smithsonian Institution and The University of Arizona, located on the summit of Mt. Hopkins.
By Howard J. Elmer
Gulf StreamVintage Cruiser 19ERD It puts the “fun” in functional
Discovery Park, with its Governor Aker Observatory, is one of Arizona's newest and finest space science museums, Safford, Arizona.
RV reviews typically focus on the function, convenience, and value features of a unit; be it any kind of trailer or motorized RV. Certainly that is the critical eye I use to scan a new product when I’m doing a review. I am looking for what’s done right, what’s well designed, and I try to decipher how the manufacturer chose to spend its build money— sort of reverse engineering. This visual review process takes hundreds of features and their inter-relationships into account. Then I write about my impressions. In the end the best units are the ones where value, great design, and good workmanship gel together nicely. This then is the story model for a typical RV review. However, occasionally, a fourth factor comes into play— fun. Sometimes a unit can simply be defined as first and foremost being fun. And that’s what my first impression of Gulf Stream’s Vintage Cruiser was when I took it out for a drive on a sunny afternoon in central Ontario’s lake country. Perhaps the best description of the Vintage Cruiser (one style
but three floorplans) is the line used in the brochure—“The fun and style of the 1950s and the technology of the 21st century.” While this is certainly marketing-speak it’s pretty accurate. I first saw this travel trailer at last year’s Louisville RV Show. It struck me then the same way it did the day I took it out for a test drive—fun. Put another way, the colour scheme, whimsical design cues, and overall lookmade me smile. And, it seems, I’m not the only one that’s had this reaction. The dealer I borrowed the trailer from told me that an owner’s club has already been organized in Ontario; and these units have only been available for a few months. The colours and build cues are what strike you first when you look at this trailer. In truth much of what you react to comes from automotive design, starting with the two-tone colours—both bold single tints and aqua-hues. Inside, happy print curtains billow over rounded, pleated cushions that have that ’57 Chevy front-seat look. Moulding edges, the
format, for use with your iPod or other MP3 player. When I toured the observatory, there were three daily tours. The 10 a.m. tour visits McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, the largest of its kind in the world and a striking edifice bearing more resemblance to a giant ski jump than to a typical domed observatory. At 11:30 a.m., visitors tour one of Kitt Peak’s early workhorses, the 2.1-Meter telescope, built in 1964. The 1:30 p.m. tour takes in the massive Mayall 4-m scope, a luminous landmark visible from Tucson that reigns as Kitt Peak’s largest optical telescope. Most popular, however, is the four-hour reservation- only Nightly Observing Program (NOP) utilizing the observatory’s big 16- and 20-inch telescopes. Note that tours are suspended during the rainy season, July 15 to Sept. 1. Another observatory within a short drive of the others is the Smithsonian Institution’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, in the Santa Rita Mountains, 35 miles south of Tucson. Whipple anchors a network of Smithsonian astronomy sites from Hawaii to South America, headquartered out of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its work in the field of gamma ray astronomy is particularly important to the world of astro-science.
FOR MORE INFORMATION UA Science SkyCenter : skycenter.arizona.edu Kitt Peak National Observatory : noao.edu/kpno/
Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory : cfa.harvard.edu/flwo Mount Graham International Observatory : mgio.arizona.edu
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