The small motel has a sliding-roof observatory where people can enjoy some of the darkest skies on the planet.

For many people, Marathon is a brief stop on the way to Big Bend. But after a Thanksgiving family vacation, Danny Self couldn’t stop thinking about his pleasant stay at the Marathon Motel & RV Park. Created in 1940, the motel is home to ten rooms divided between four duplex cabins, as well as an attached RV park. But it wasn’t the amenities Danny fell in love with—it was the spectacular night sky.

Danny bought the motel, and he began working with a group of astronomers to take advantage of its unique location under a class 1 dark sky—the darkest skies on Earth.

In this video from Texas Country Reporter, visit this unexpected motel in the middle of nowhere that has become a hot spot for astrophotography enthusiasts from around the world.

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