Southwest of Breckenridge a couple hundred miles is Chimney Rock. It's not every day that Chimney Rock Archeological Area invites the public in at 1 a.m.
But they did so on August 1. More invitations to visit the park at unusual times will be issued over the next five months so the public can observe an unusual lunar phenomenon.
On these particular nights, as part of its natural cycle of movement across the sky, the full moon will appear to rise between two natural stone pillars in the park. You can view the phenomenon from a fire tower observation deck. But archaeoastromers - who study what was known about astronomy in ancient times - believe that the Great House Pueblo, an ancient ruin in the park, was built by a tribe of puebloan people to watch this celestial event.
The Great House Pueblo provided a perfect vantage point for seeing the moon come up between the pillars more than 900 years ago. Its construction has been dated to 1076, with another phase of construction 18 years later. Both periods coincided with years in which the moon could be seen rising in that spot, adding credence to the theory that these ancient people recorded and predicted the moon's cycle.
The moonrise is visible between the pillars for three years in a row, every 18 years. This year, the moon could be seen rising between the pillars on Aug. 1, and there are five more opportunities to observe it.
The park is hosting a 2 1/2 hour program to see it, including an orientation session and a short drive followed by a hike past the Great House ruins to the fire tower.
Dates are Aug. 27, with visitors admitted at 11 p.m.; Sept. 24, at 10 p.m.; Oct. 21, at 7:40 p.m.; Nov. 17, at 4:30 p.m., and Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. For details, call (970) 264-2287, Mondays or Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Chimney Rock is located in the San Juan National Forest, 44 miles east of Durango.
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