Rattlesnakes!

We have had quite a large number of rattlesnake sightings at the observatory the last two weeks or so. I have personally encountered two of them in the last two days.

The picture below shows the one I sighted about 11:00 a.m. today, just outside the observatory's front gate:


Visitors to the observatory may have noticed the signs that warn people not to venture out into the fields of ferns. That's because you would not be able to spot a rattlesnake until it was too late.

Remember, should you see a rattlesnake, leave it alone and put some distance between you and the snake.

Should someone get bitten call 911 immediately. Cell phones rarely work on Palomar, so you may need to head for the gift shop or flag down someone who works here.

Be careful out there.