Dark Texas Skies
A Cosmic Adventure
Portal to the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve
at the Marathon Motel & RV Park
Your Portal to the Stars
Pictures are short time exposures in late May at 2:00 a.m.
at SkyPark, Marathon, TX
Dark Texas Skies introduces cosmic adventurers to the stars with two large observatory grade reflector telescopes and a 10 inch reflector telescope for children. Oberwerk BT-100XL-ED binoculars are also used to view larger celestial objects. Whether you are a seasoned astronomer or a newcomer, you will enjoy using our equipment.
Dark Texas Skies is located at the Marathon Motel & RV Park in Marathon, TX. This establishment has been featured on Texas Country Reporter and in magazine & newspaper articles because of its many amenities and its stunning nighttime canopy of stars.
Below is a map where Dark Texas Skies meet nightly. We gather outdoors at the Visual Observatory, about 150 feet behind Room 8 of the Marathon Motel & RV Park. Admission is $10.00 for adults and children are free younger than 18 years old.
Star parties are scheduled every night of the calendar year (including holidays) if the weather permits. We begin at sunset if the Moon is visible, otherwise we begin 1/2 hour after sunset.

How Dark
Is Dark?
Dark Texas Skies boasts a very dark nighttime sky. We are located in one of the darkest areas in the lower 48 contiguous United States!
track & see the ISS
Guests are notified when the International Space Station flyover occurs. The ISS usually appears very bright as it glides across the night’s sky at 17,500 mph as it orbits every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 227 nautical miles above the Earth.
The real-time NASA tracker shows where the International Space Station is right now and its path 90 minutes ago (-1.5 h) and 90 minutes ahead (+1.5 h). The dark overlay indicates where it is nighttime in the world.
Map Source: www.esa.int (updated every 5 seconds)
The widget below indicates the next flyover of Marathon, TX. Be sure to click on “More Sightings” to see night flyovers during the next 24 hours or so.
Advantages
Exceptional quality of protected night skies ranks as Bortle Class #1
Naked-eye limiting magnitude range is 7.8-8.0. It's dark here!
10/20/24 inch telescopes are used with 2 inch high quality eyepieces.
Personal attention and informative answers to your questions.
Five lovely ladies from Visit Big Bend are enjoying with warm smiles our provided heat during a Fall cold snap. Ali Chambers (far left) is the Public Relations Assistant liaison of Visit Big Bend. You may contact her by phone at (432) 837-3915 for more information about your next visit to the Big Bend National Park and the greater regional area. The other four ladies are visitors from Canada.
KLST San Angelo’s Feature of Marathon Motel
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THE Place to be After Dark
The Marathon Motel & RV Park is a safe place to be after dark. The facilities accommodate those who desire motel lodging, arrive in a RV or prefer to bring their own tent. And you are only a few steps away from Dark Texas Skies to discover a world of nocturnal starry wonder!