Gazing at the stars in Australia

THE southern hemisphere’s first and only Dark Sky Park is in the Warrumbungle region of NSW, #Australia renowned for its breathtaking starry nights. What is a dark sky park? #DarkSkyParks are recognised internationally for their outstanding nocturnal environment and clear, dark skies, says Dr James Gilbert, astronomer and engineer, Australian National University. “These are unspoilt places where anyone can marvel at the universe just by looking up, even without a telescope,” says Dr Gilbert. The Warrumbungle National Park is currently the only Dark Sky Park in the Southern Hemisphere.

For breathtaking views of the galaxy, you can camp under the stars in Warrumbungle National Park at various camping grounds and heritage huts. You can pitch a tent in Balor Hut campground or stay in a historic walkers’ hut. For a more rustic experience, Burbie Camp is a remote bush camping area neighbouring a natural spring with stunning views, while Camp Blackman is a popular base to explore the park and star gaze, well-equipped with hot showers, barbeques and picnic tables. www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au 

Warrumbungle Observatory, 9km from Coonabarabran at the foothills of the Warrumbungle Mountains, holds nightly viewing sessions and astro-photography sessions. www.tenbyobservatory.com 

Milroy Observatory has a popular Night Sky Show and also offers customised tours of all kinds for school groups, universities, senior citizens – even events such as birthdays and wedding proposals. www.milroyobservatory.com.au 

Siding Spring on the edge of the Warrumbungle National Park is a working research observatory with no public stargazing facilities, but they do offer daytime bookable experiences. www.sidingspringobservatory.com.au

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Celebrate Independence Day at the Empire State Building

THIS Independence Day, celebrate the holiday with friends and family at the Empire State Building's "Ultimate 4th of July" celebration. Limited tickets are still available for this exclusive event which offers breathtaking views of the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular from the only open-air Observatory over one thousand feet above New York City – putting you at the center of all the action.

Closed to the general public, ticket holders are provided VIP private access to the 86th floor Observatory with prime viewing of the East River from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Guests are also invited to enjoy the 80th floor "Dare to Dream" exhibit where drinks flow from a premium open bar and gourmet food will be provided by STATE Grill and Bar, the signature restaurant of the Empire State Building. Following the fireworks, attendees will be invited to visit the 102nd floor Observatory to cap off their breathtaking evening.


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Chile and Argentina 2019 Solar Eclipse

SELECT Latin America has launched a new five-day ‘Chile & Argentina 2019 Eclipse’ tour which will take place during the next total solar eclipse visible in Chile in July 2019. 

The holiday includes travelling to La Serena, the Elqui valley, Limari Valley, the Cruz Sure and La Silla observatories, as well as visiting the port city of Coquimbo which boasts some of the clearest skies in Chile. The trip is priced from £3,113 per person excluding flights.

www.selectlatinamerica.com

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VisitScotland : To boldly glow..

SCOTTISH tourism is boldly going where few destinations have gone before, with its designated Dark Sky Communities proving a hit with stargazers. Now, VisitScotland hopes that Moffat’s designation as Europe’s first Dark Sky Town will add to the country’s astronomical allure.

In February, the Dumfries and Galloway town joined Coll, the first Dark Sky Island in Europe, and Galloway Forest Park, one of only four Dark Sky Parks in the western world, as one of the best places on earth to study the sky at night.

Another place to study the night sky is at the edge of Galloway Forest Park, where the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory in East Ayrshire is a four-star VisitScotland attraction.

A recent report estimates that the Dark Sky Park is taking in an additional £500,000 over the winter months purely related to dark sky tourism with the expectation for that to rise to around £1 million.

Keith Muir, head of Tourism & Communication at Forestry Commission Scotland, which owns the park, said: ‘The Dark Sky Rangers are now in place and beginning to get some trade, and more local accommodation providers are being affected by the increase in astro-tourism.’

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Where to see the stars

BEACON HILL FARM in rural #Northumberland has its own night sky observatory for the exclusive use of self-catering guests. 

The observatory has a powerful Celestron CPC 1100 telescope, giving detailed views of stars and planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, and two additional telescopes.

A large swathe of Northumberland has been designated as one of the best places in Europe to see the stars due to its unpolluted night skies. 

Self-catering rates range from £345 per cottage per week.

www.beaconhill.co.uk

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Picture Credit: Dunstanburgh Castle</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com

See the stars from Alice Springs

A SPACE observatory and private pods for #stargazing will be built at Earth Sanctuary in #AliceSprings, #Australia, with the help of a Northern Territory Government tourism infrastructure grant. 

Tourism Minister Adam Giles said the project aimed to capitalize on the emerging niche market of space discovery tourism and position Central Australia as one of the world’s leading stargazing destinations.

‘This grant will help Earth Sanctuary build a professional but modest observatory and private star pods that allow visitors to stargaze in a comfortable dome kitted with a double bed and private decking,” he said. “It is encouraging to see Earth Sanctuary working hard to position itself as a leader in providing a unique and sustainable tourism experience to not only Australians, but the rest of the world.’

Mr Giles said the Earth Sanctuary project follows a recent ‘Astronomeet’ that involved professional photographers and social media people coming together at Uluru to capture the night sky. ‘Projects and events like this promote the Northern Territory as a must-do holiday destination that is home to unique, world-class experiences and sends a message to holidaymakers: come for the stars, stay for a Red Centre adventure. It’s all part of the government’s plan to drive the development of North Australia and build an A$2.2 billion visitor economy by 2020.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74101223@N00/7927534758">To Alice Springs via Tanami Road</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)

Stargaze on Sark

THE Dark Sky Island of #Sark is to open its first #observatory on October 10.  
The small Channel Island was designated as the world's first Dark Sky Island in 2011 by the International Dark-Sky Association and is now only one of two in the world. The award was in recognition of the exceptional blackness of the night sky which makes for spectacular stargazing on the island. The opening of the observatory aims to facilitate astro-tourism on Sark, and make it tangible for first timers as well as experienced stargazers.   

Sark's dark skies can be attributed to its isolated location in the English Channel, its complete lack of public street lighting (and very few outdoor lights on buildings), and low pollution levels. Motorized vehicles, with the exception of a few tractors, are banned on the island.

The observatory will be located in the middle of the island, which is the darkest area, and will be a two-room structure with a sliding roof. One room will house the telescope and the other will be a 'warm room' with a screen linked to the telescope.

The observatory will be opened on October 10 by Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at Greenwich Royal Observatory.

The opening of the observatory will tie in with a Sark Trek weekend (October 9-11) designed to make the most of the island's night skies. Hosted by two astronomers, it will involve 14 hours of learning and stargazing activities.

www.sastros.sark.gg 
www.sark.co.uk

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Seeing stars

#TENERIFE has boosted its position as one of the best locations on the planet for stargazing, with the introduction of eight new telescopes at the Teide Observatory.

The recently-launched Volcano Life Experience operates guided tours several days a week to the observatory, which is also home to GREGOR, the largest solar telescope in Europe.

Located at 7,800ft above sea level and next to Mount Teide – Spain's highest peak at 12,100ft – Teide Observatory is perfect for studying stars at night due to its location, low-light pollution and clear night skies, which are protected by laws relating to contamination levels and flight paths. The observatory is in the Teide National Park, recognized as a Starlight Tourist Destination by the Starlight Foundation.

The largest island in the Canaries, Tenerife offers a huge choice of 'star tourism' experiences for visitors to enjoy on their island get-away. Those with an interest in outer space can learn about the important astrophysics research carried out at the observatory by joining a guided tour to see the stars and dazzling displays. Visitors can also tour the planetarium at the Museum of Science and the Cosmos in La Laguna, or stay overnight in a rural cottage or country hotel complete with a telescope. Mount Teide's cable car offers a Sunset and Stars stargazing trip, with a dusk-time dinner served at 6,500ft above sea level. 


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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23629083@N03/6578877883">Mt. Teide & Rock Pedestal, Tenerife</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)