Falcon 9 Launch lights up the Big Bend Sky
A Falcon 9 Launch Lights Up the Big Bend Sky! Last night, one of our guests was able to capture a spectacular photo of a Falcon 9 rocket launch streaking across the western sky—right here from Terlingua Ghost Town Rentals & RV Park! Thanks for the picture Brian! The next launch date that might grace our skies is Thursday October, 30th.
Comet A6 is heating up!
Things are looking quite spectacular for this weekend into next for Comet A6 (Lemmon). Not only will you be able to spot the comet from dark sky locations but the Orionid meteor shower is also peaking with a new moon phase! What a special treat this is shaping up to be. We have comet tours available and if you would like to learn how to capture a comet with your own camera, Big Bend is the place to be! See our After Dark section for more info on tours available! Follow the read more link below about how this comet is going to be the best one of 2025.
Comet Lemmon Tour w/BIBE AD
Feeling spontaneous? Our first celestial event tour is shaping up to be a big one. Join us for two nights of guided comet hunting, stargazing, and astrophotography all under the Orionid meteor shower! Comet Lemmon will soon transition to our evening sky and it will be a sight you will not want to miss! Come along with us to see the naked eye comet from some of the darkest locations around Big Bend and stay here at the Terlingua Ghost Town Rentals, BoHo Style.
Comet hunting season in Big Bend
Check out the newest visitor to our inner solar system, Comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON)! The attached picture is actually one I captured here at the Ruins in Terlingua last week!
As a huge comet chasing nerd, I am feeling extremely lucky at the moment. Living in the darkest night sky reserve on the planet sure does have its perks sometimes. Especially when celestial events are happening.
Anyway, the desert out here has been pretty hot still with daytime temps in the 90s. Cooler nights are finally starting to make a comeback so it’s perfect timing to do some comet hunting!
We are excited to chase this one down and look forward to sharing the moments with all of you. Stay tuned for an event announcement and happy comet hunting season!
Follow the link to space.com where you can read more about this interesting celestial object.
Astro-Tourism
Astro tourism, or astronomical tourism, is a form of nature-based tourism focused on viewing celestial objects and events, such as stars, galaxies, meteor showers, and eclipses. It involves traveling to dark sky locations with minimal light pollution to observe the night sky, and includes activities like stargazing, visiting observatories, and attending astronomy festivals. This growing trend is driven by a desire to escape light-polluted cities and connect with the universe, with the help of designated dark sky parks and reserves.
Click read more for an article from our friends at Dark Sky International. It has some great information about the risks associated with astro-tourism and how we can all stargaze responsibly. I highly encourage every one who is interested in light pollution to become a Dark Sky Ambassador for your area. See DarkSky.org for more information
THE COSMIC BEETLE
Welcome to our new Blog, The Cosmic Beetle!
Did you know that dung beetles are the first known animals proven to use the Milky Way at night? Even though they can’t see individual stars, they can detect the bright band of the Milky Way as a luminous stripe. This helps them keep from going in circles and “roll” away from the competition!
They are such interesting creatures that we decided to adopt them as our logo and mascot.
The Cosmic Beetle will be your one stop place for all things astro-tourism, astronomy, and astrophotography. We look forward to sharing all of our night sky adventures with you and we thank you for being here.
Click read more for information on Dung Beetles and the Milky Way.