ASTRONOMY VACATIONS, “THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT”

BY CLAY LARROY

Do you feel like it is time for a short vacation? Once you decide to travel, how good you plan the trip will help you feel comfortable and be comfortable at your destination. Not only will you feel less anxiety before the trip, but you can rest assured that once you arrive where you're going you will have a good understanding of what's going on there.  When you need to plan a vacation contact me!

"Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun"
- Carly Simon "You’re So Vain"

Carly Simon sang about it, but you can really do it, and you don’t need your own jet. Astronomical tours focus on the observations of the heavens from terrestrial destinations possessing permanent or temporary geographic advantages for watching particular celestial events or phenomenon.

Most of the civilized world suffers from "light pollution", whereby man-made light dilutes and washes out the much more distant lights of planets and stars. Thus, the best possible sky gazing is done far from the pernicious effects of artificial light in more remote locations. Likewise, the higher the altitude, the better the viewing as there is less of earth’s atmosphere between the traveler and the heavens. Thus, the ultimate destination is one where the sought after phenomenon is viewable, far from artificial light, at as high an altitude as possible. If you have ever considered an astronomical vacation, use this TRO guide to acquaint yourself with the many options available to globe-trotting astro-vacationers.

Southern Sky tours take advantage of remote locations in the southern hemisphere to observe the unfamiliar night vistas of the lower latitudes. In the southern regions of the globe, many celestial objects that are not present in the northern hemisphere are visible including two nearby galaxies, the Magellanic Cloud, and the Eta Carinae Nebula. Many star groupings from the Northern Hemisphere are not visible or look strangely different.

Tour companies often use Central and South America countries such as Costa Rica or Bolivia as viewing locations, and each typifies different advantages. In Costa Rica, the warm climate makes viewing very comfortable. In Bolivia, the altitude of 12,000 feet plus means that in any season a coat is in order, but much of the earth’s atmosphere is beneath you!

Southern sky trips are often available in close proximity to local observatories. Tour operators often charter use of these facilities for the duration of the trip, adding to the interest.

Throughout history, many cultures have worshiped the planets, stars, sun and moon. Even today, vestiges of the old religions can be found in native cultures or, in some instances, hiding behind the vestments of our modern religious practices. The summer and winter solstices, June 21 and December 21, are two occasions when opportunities for great astronomical viewings present themselves and tour operators offer specialized tours. Many tours center around century’s old astronomical sites: think Stonehenge or Andean temples. Because the Solstices represented the longest and shortest days of the year, the dates bore great import to ancient agricultural societies. Itineraries usually explore the cultural significance of the occasion along with observation of astronomical phenomenon. During your planning, be sure to note that the summer and winter solstices are reversed in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The autumnal and spring equinoxes are the times of year when the celestial auroras are most visible. However, the visibility of northern and southern lights, unlike many other types of astronomical phenomenon, cannot be as easily forecast as they are literally the byproducts of solar weather in the earth’s upper atmosphere. Best viewed in the highest and lowest latitudes, the Auroras are spectacular displays of nature. In the northern hemisphere travelers can view the aurora borealis, and in the southern, the aurora australis.

Solar eclipses present very special occasions for astronomical viewing and photography. Tour operators fly avid travelers to many distant locales to place them directly in the path of the totality of the eclipse. A little background on the mechanics of a solar eclipse is in order to explain why travel is such an important aspect to viewing.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun. If the moon’s shadow falls on the earth’s surface at that time, some portion of the sun’s light is eclipsed and the light passing to earth is blocked. Because the moon’s orbit is tilted 5 degrees to the Earth’s orbit, the moon’s shadow usually misses the earth during an eclipse. At least twice a year, however, everything lines up just so and an eclipse can be seen from some region of the earth. When the moon’s darkest shadow, the "umbral shadow" hits the earth, and the moon is also at its closest point to earth in orbit, a total eclipse of the sun can be seen.

The track of the umbral shadow, the "track of totality" is very long, 10,000 miles, but very narrow, about 120 miles wide. Thus, to be in the path of totality, one must travel to very specific parts of the globe. The next total solar eclipse will be on August 1, 2008. The path of total eclipse will cross areas of China, Mongolia and the Artic Ocean, Greenland and Northern Canada.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.Plato

 

Enjoy life and travel often, the more you travel, the more memories you create!