Corralitos Observatory, Astronomical research facility in Rough and Ready Hills, New Mexico
Corralitos Observatory is an astronomical research facility located in the Rough and Ready Hills that housed two Cassegrain telescopes for sky observations. The instruments included storage systems and remote readout capabilities to support scientific data collection and analysis.
The facility was established in 1965 and operated as a remote station of Northwestern University's Dearborn Observatory until 1978. During its years of operation it conducted research on the Moon and supernovae.
Students from New Mexico State University contributed to scientific research at the facility, participating in astronomical observations and data collection throughout its operational years.
The location roughly 50 kilometers west of Las Cruces provided excellent observing conditions thanks to the region's low humidity and sparse cloud cover. Visitors should note that the site is no longer active and may only be accessible as a historical location today.
Staff members captured the only known photographs of the Apollo 13 explosion in 1970 as the spacecraft approached the Moon. These images became important historical records of the space program.
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