New Mexico State Road 6563
| |
|---|---|
| Sunspot Scenic Byway | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NMDOT | |
| Length: | 15.530 mi[1] (24.993 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: | Sacramento Peak National Solar Observatory |
| North end: |
 NM 130 near Cloudcroft |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Otero |
| Highway system | |
| |
State Road 6563, also known as the Sunspot Scenic Byway,[2] is a 15.530-mile (24.993 km) long two-lane state highway in Otero County, New Mexico, United States.
Route description
NM 6563 begins at the National Solar Observatory at Sunspot in the Lincoln National Forest. [3]
NM 6563 is one of only three four-digit state highways in New Mexico (the others being SR 1113 and SR 5001).[1] It takes its number from the wavelength (6563 Å) used by scientists at the observatory to locate areas of interest on the Sun.[4]
The solar observatory added signs along the highway in 2011 with the names of the planets as part of a 1:250 million model of the distances between planets in the Solar System.[5]
History
The highway was designated a National Forest scenic byway on October 6, 1990.[6]
Major intersections
The entire route is in Otero County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunspot | 0.000 | 0.000 | Sacramento Peak National Solar Observatory | Southern terminus | |
| | 15.530 | 24.993 | NM 130 (Cox Canyon Highway) – Cloudcroft, Mayhill | Northern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also
U.S. Roads portal
New Mexico portal
References
- 1 2 3 "State Routes" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ↑ Herow, William C. (April 1997). America's Scenic Drives: Travel Guide & Atlas. Roundabout Publications. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-885464-28-6. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ↑ Google (November 30, 2010). "NM 6563" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ↑ "Sunspot Scenic Byway" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ National Solar Observatory. "Sizing Up Your Solar System". Retrieved June 11, 2007.
- ↑ National Optical Astronomy Observatories Newsletter. The Observatories. 1989. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
External links
Geographic data related to New Mexico State Road 6563 at OpenStreetMap- New Mexico Tourism Website