New Mexico State Road 6563
Encyclopedia
State Road 6563, also known as the Sunspot Scenic Byway, is a 15.53 miles (25 km) long two-lane state highway
in Otero County
, New Mexico
, United States.
at Sunspot
in the Lincoln National Forest
.
NM 6563 is one of only three four-digit state highways in New Mexico (the others being SR 1113 and SR 5001). It takes its number from the wavelength (6563 Å
) used by scientists at the observatory to locate areas of interest on the Sun.
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
.
scenic byway on October 6, 1990.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|
|0.000
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Sunspot
|15.530
|Sacramento Peak
National Solar Observatory
|Northern terminus
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Otero County
Otero County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.7% White*3.5% Black*6.7% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.2% Two or more races*11.2% Other races*34.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States.
Route description
NM 6563 begins at the National Solar ObservatoryNational Solar Observatory
The mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community...
at Sunspot
Sunspot, New Mexico
Sunspot is an unincorporated community in the Sacramento Mountains in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It is located within the Lincoln National Forest, 18 miles south of Cloudcroft. Its elevation is 9200 feet....
in the Lincoln National Forest
Lincoln National Forest
The Lincoln National Forest is a protected national forest in the State of New Mexico in the southwestern United States. It was established in 1902 and covers 1,103,828 acres...
.
NM 6563 is one of only three four-digit state highways in New Mexico (the others being SR 1113 and SR 5001). It takes its number from the wavelength (6563 Å
Ångström
The angstrom or ångström, is a unit of length equal to 1/10,000,000,000 of a meter . Its symbol is the Swedish letter Å....
) used by scientists at the observatory to locate areas of interest on the Sun.
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
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.
History
The highway was designated a National ForestUnited States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
scenic byway on October 6, 1990.
Major intersections
The entire route is located in Otero CountyOtero County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.7% White*3.5% Black*6.7% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.2% Two or more races*11.2% Other races*34.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|
|0.000
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Sunspot
Sunspot, New Mexico
Sunspot is an unincorporated community in the Sacramento Mountains in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It is located within the Lincoln National Forest, 18 miles south of Cloudcroft. Its elevation is 9200 feet....
|15.530
|Sacramento Peak
Cathey Peak
Cathey Peak is a peak in the Sacramento Mountains, in the south-central part of the US State of New Mexico. It lies in Otero County, southeast of the community of Alamogordo.Sacramento Peak, at ,...
National Solar Observatory
National Solar Observatory
The mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community...
|Northern terminus