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BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK Western Texas [29.3oN, 103.1oW] |
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Morning light over the Chihuahuan Desert. Click to enlarge |
Virtual Field Trip |
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"Big Bend National Park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States. It is home to about 450 species of birds, more than any other national park in the United States. Thirty-one species of snakes, twenty-two species of lizards, and four species of turtles have been found in Big Bend National Park," and it contains one of the most diverse assemblages of butterflies in the U.S." - National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov/bibe) Big Bend also happens to be one of the darkest places in the country at night. Most of America experiences a great deal of light pollution from the artificial lights of cities. Take a look at this image of the intensity of light coming from the U.S. at night. Big Bend is isolated enought that you might actually get to see the stars! Certain stars, such as those that form the big dipper, can be seen even in places like New York or Los Angeles. But the stars that can be seen in cities are only a small fraction of the stars that are out there. If you have never looked at the night sky outside of a city, it is something to behold!
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