The Moon and Venus over Cathedral Gorge State Park

Our Annual Cathedral Gorge Spring Fling for 2012 is scheduled for May 18 and 19. Join us for two Spring evenings under the stars at this great little State Park near Panaca, NV.  A special treat for those that hang around on Sunday will be an Annular Solar Eclipse in the late afternoon.

Eclipse Details

	Duration	4min 24.4sec
	Altitude	13.1 degrees above horizon at mid-eclipse
	Phase	Time - Description
	1st contact	17:21:28 - The instant when the partial phase begins
	2nd contact	18:31:13 - The instant when the Annular phase begins
	Mid-eclipse	18:33:25 - The moment when the Annular ring is equidistant
	3rd contact	18:35:37 - The instant when the Annular phase ends
	4th contact	19:37:20 - The instant when the partial phase ends
	Sunset	19:46:00

The 1st and 4th contact images above are actually partial eclipse images since the Moon is not visible at exact moment of contact.

Catheral Gorge is only a few miles from the center-line of the eclipse.  See map below for the path of the eclipse near Cathedral Gorge - the center-line crosses Hwy 93 north of Pioche at lat/long 38.0515N, 114.5517W.

Observing is open to members and guests Friday and Saturday evenings. The public is normally invited to visit between sunset and 11pm. Please try to have your telescopes set up before dark especially in the main observing area.

See maps and this link for map details.  Goto the Cathedral Gorge website for more information about this state park or click on the link to see the Cathedral Gorge Brochure.  Tent campers are requested to use the two group site camping areas and leave the individual campsites for those with campers and motorhomes.  Invidivudal camping sites are available on a first-come first-served basis.  For the Spring Fling, LVAS members and all guests are responsible for their park entrance fees and camping fees.

Click on maps for larger views

Click here for interactive map!

Cathedral Gorge is an easy 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas and is located just outside Panaca, NV on Hwy 93. From Las Vegas, take I-15 north to the Great Basin Highway (Hwy 93) and follow Hwy 93 through Alamo and Caliente to Panaca Junction. The State Park is located approximately 1 mile north of the Panaca Junction on the left side of the Hwy (it's clearly marked - see map). 

Click on map for larger interactive map

 Below are links to the hotels/motels in the Caliente/Panaca/Pioche area:

Shady Motel - Caliente, NV 

Overland Hotel and Saloon - a Theme Hotel in Pioche - nice Western Motif rooms

Pinetree Inn and Bakery - Panaca, NV 

Other Accommodations in Caliente, NV