Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Langmuir Lab, New Mexico

The 10,500 foot summit area of South Baldy in the Magdelena Mountains of central New Mexico is the location of two unusual observatories. On one peak is the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, built in 1963, to study cloud processes, lighting, hail, and rain. It was built here due to the prevalence and intensity of localized seasonal thunderstorms in the region. An observation building looms on the edge of the peak, overlooking the valley of the Jornada del Muerto to the east. Less than a mile away, on an open plateau, the newly constructed Magdelena Ridge Observatory consists of two facilities. One, built for the Naval Research Lab, consists of a long shed building, supporting a Y shaped interferometer array of optical and infrared telescopes. Nearby is a new 2.4 meter optical telescope. These two facilities were built in 2008 and 2009 and are administered by New Mexico Tech, located 25 miles away in Socorro.