A small crew of 5 made the initial camp at the Sunspot site . This crew included Roberts , John " Jack " W. Evans ( a student of Menzel 's ) , and Rudy Cook ( who had worked with Robert in Climax ) . Cook 's companions soon returned home , leaving Cook and his dog Rocky to man the site . By the end of 1947 , Menzel and Roberts made the recommendation that Sacramento Peak be chosen as the solar research site for USAF . By April 1948 , the Committee on Geophysical Sciences ( then within the War Department 's Research and Development Board ) formally accepted this recommendation and a contract was written , mandating the Air Force to complete the observatory . The specifics of the contract called for " the preparation of detailed plans for an integrated solar research facility , which would combine observational , analytical , and data-reduction activities , all on a larger scale than at any comparable observatory ; design , development , and fabrication of the required optical device ; and concurrently , theoretical studies of solar structure and characteristics " On the western side of the Sacramento peak , there are wide open views of Apache Point Observatory and Sloan Digital Sky Survey telescopes . From the overlook beside the telescope , White Sands National Monument stands out as gypsum white against the sandy background of the desert . On a clear day it is possible to see all the way south to the cities of El Paso , Texas , and Juarez , Mexico , and all the way north to the Trinity test site . The overlook can also be used for viewing rocket launches from White Sands Missile Range
Trinity test site
Trinity (nuclear test)
Sunspot Solar Observatory