A year at Sunspot. Reminiscences of 1977-1978 at the Sacramento Peak Observatory

TL;DR

This paper reflects on a year spent at the Sacramento Peak Observatory in 1977-1978, providing personal reminiscences and capturing the atmosphere during that period, in the context of the observatory's closure in 2017.

Contribution

It offers a personal historical account and atmospheric description of the Sacramento Peak Observatory during 1977-1978, enriching the historical record.

Findings

Personal insights into the observatory's environment

Historical context of solar research in the late 1970s

Reflections on the observatory's closure in 2017

Abstract

Forty years ago I spent a year with my family at the Sacramento Peak Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico. In August 2017 the U.S. National Solar Observatory ended its presence there with a Farewell Workshop. These reminiscences are in that context. My aim is to paint the atmosphere.