Have a look at the pictures I manage to shot into this fabulous Astronomy trip through the Canary Islands.
You can have a look at the photos HERE
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
20 March 2013
Astronomy Trip to the Canary Islands IN PHOTOS!
Have a look at the pictures I manage to shot into this fabulous Astronomy trip through the Canary Islands.
You can have a look at the photos HERE
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
19 March 2013
Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC)
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| Radio Telescope (not in use) San Cristóbal de La Laguna Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis |
Today we introduce the reason for all the astronomical activities in the Canary Islands: The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) or Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
There are
very few places in the world that can boast all of the conditions needed for
modern astronomy. The mountain summits of Tenerife and La Palma in the Canary
Islands enjoy these exceptional conditions and this has converted them into a
“magnet” for some of today’s most advanced telescopes. Spain set up the IAC to
make the most of the scientific and technological opportunities offered by this
outstanding access to the sky over the islands, which constitutes in its self a
valuable natural resource.
The Spanish
authorities have also protected the astronomical qualities of the sky by
imposing restrictions by means of the “sky law” that regulates, among other
things, the use of outdoor lighting. As a result the IAC observatories are
considered to be an astronomy reserve.
UNESCO, as
part of its Starlight initiative is currently working to recognize and catalog
exceptional sights, like the Teide and Roques de los Muchachos Observatories,
as “world class astronomy reserve”.
18 March 2013
Daniel López, Astrophotographer extraordinaire. In search of Comet Pan-Starrs
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| Alfred Rosenberg, Daniel López, David and Stefan Lamoureux @ Teide Observatory chasing Comet Pan-Starrs. Credit: Daniel López IAC (Click on picture to enlarge) |
Follow our Astronomy Club Toutatis through our visit to the Canarian astronomy in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
As I visited the Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González we met with Astrophotographer extraordinaire Daniel López. I had seen his work on the Internet and somewhat visited his website, but as I met with him, he struck me to be a down to Earth guy with modest ways of photographing. One thing was for sure, he knew exactly where to go to catch the elusive Comet Pan-Starrs (C/2011 L4) and get at the same time a great shot of the Teide Observatory, Mount Teide and the island of La Palma. El cielo de Canarias.com is an impressive website with all of Daniel's work in it.
His work has been all over the place and in all sort of astronomy magazines and astronomy papers. He works now full time as a photographer, but he is an engineer by trade. He work closely with the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands to provide them with pictures of the night sky and/or Astro-photos related to the Canary Islands. Please have a look at his website. And yes we finally catch the Comet Pan-Starrs and it was barely a naked eye object. See picture above and click on it to enlarge.
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| Comet Pan-Starrs in the Sunset sky over the Teide, Tenerife. Credit: S. Lamoureux/ KTY Toutatis (Click to enlarge picture) |
Have a look at this awesome Timelapse of the Comet Pan-Starrs made by Daniel López with in foreground the incredible Teide Observatory, Mount Teide and the island of La Palma.
Please visit Daniel López website El cielo de Canarias.com HERE
WIKI: Comet Pan-Starrs (C/2011 L4)
Read more about Astronomy Club Toutatis. Kustavi, Finland.
17 March 2013
Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González, Tenerife, Canary Islands
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| Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Canary Islands Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis (Click the picture to enlarge) |
Astrophysics
in the Canary Islands began at this observatory, which is situated 2400 metres above
sea level in Izaña, an area near the National Park of Teide, Tenerife.
Its
geographical location together with the clarity and excellent quality of the
sky, mean that the Teide Observatory is ideally suited for studying the Sun.
For this reason it is home to some of Europe’s finest solar telescopes,
foremost among them are Themis and the German Gregor and VTT telescopes, as
well as instruments for studying Solar Seismology.
In addition
to these instruments for solar observation, the OT has a number of other
telescopes, such as the “Carlos Sanchez” telescope, a very productive
instrument that introduced many Spanish astronomers to the specialty of
infrared astronomy. The latest generation of robotic telescopes is represented
by STELLA, which consists of twin telescopes with complementary
instrumentation. The European Space Agency’s optical ground station (OGS),
which was built for laser communication with orbiting satellites, is also used
for identifying and tracking space debris. The IAC - 80 telescope is used for
observing objects with long-term variability and as a test-bed for new
astrophysical instruments as well as for teaching astronomy to graduate
students. There are also other highly specialized telescopes, like the Quijote,
which is used to study background radiation from the “Big Bang” at the origin
of the Universe.
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| Teide Observatory with crescent Moon Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis (Click the picture to enlarge) |
I had the chance to visit this incredible complex of telescopes and instruments with the help of public spokes person (public relations) Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González. Dr. Rosenberg González dedicated his astronomy career to Globular Clusters and publish quite a few papers on the subject (see Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González personnel pages (IAC). After his studies, he started as a support astronomer at the Teide Observatory before his Post-Doc and continued his career with the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands as a Post-Doc student at the IAC. Later on he went to be the public spokes person (public relations) for the Institute of Astrophysics as well as for the Teide Observatory. As he showed me around the complex at the Observatory, I noticed how smooth he was at his job. He knew everyone in the complex, it was second nature for him to explain "hard" facts about the Observatory and astronomy in general. I raise my hat to his enthusiasm and knowledge of astronomy and the Teide Observatory. I had a wonderful time and I couldn't have a better "guide" for the job. Big Thanks to Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González and good luck with your future projects.
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| Panorama of Teide Observatory and Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis (Click on picture to enlarge) |
Teide Observatory website (IAC)
WIKI: Teide Observatory
Photos of Teide Observatory
Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González personnel website (IAC)
READ NEXT POST HERE on our trip through Canarian Astronomy on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands.
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
16 March 2013
What is the Starlight foundation? Interview with Director Luis Martínez Sáez
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| President of the Starlight Foundation Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis |
I visited Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez Director of the Starlight Foundation at his office at the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, IAC) in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. As he invited me in his office, we started the interview and I asked him what is this Starlight foundation all about?
Laughing, he asked me what is this Astronomy Club Toutatis all about? I replied with an honest and simple answer that it is our astronomy club in Finland and we are curious about all that is related to space and astronomy. He liked my answer and we continued the interview.
Follow us in our Astronomy Trip to the Canary Islands
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| Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Canary Islands Credit: Astronomy CLub Toutatis (Click to enlarge picture) |
Here we go again!
A dream come true, Top of the notch Astronomy wise!
This time we visit the Canary islands and the island of TENERIFE!
Before we left from Finland we contacted the Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands (Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias) and asked for an interview with the President of Starlight Foundation Luis Martínez Sáez and a guided visit to the Teide Observatory which we visited in company of public spokes person Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González
First we visited the headquarters of the Institute of Astrophysics in San Cristobal de la Laguna in the northern part of the island and sat down with Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez. Then we drove by car an hour to the National Parc of Teide to the Teide Observatory where we visited the many telescopes and installations of the Observatory companied by Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González. As we visited the installations of the Observatory we were introduced to Daniel López, Astrophotographer extraordinaire who tagged along before asking us if we would like to join him in a session of photography of the Comet Pan-Starrs near the grounds of the Observatory. It was simply magical!
The Sun set and the view was just amazing, we installed our cameras and look out for the Comet.
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| Teide Observatory and Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands Credit: Astronomy Club Toutatis (Click on picture to enlarge) |
I have to say, this was a dream come true to visit the Observatory and the many telescopes on sight. The astrophotography session with Daniel López was simply incredible. Mr. Luis Martinez Saez back in San Cristobal de la Laguna gave us a royal welcome. Last but not least this could not have been possible without the best public spokes person Mr. Alfred Rosenberg González who attended to our every needs and gave us the GRAN tour.
Thank you very much Alfred, Luis, Daniel and David for your warm welcome and your great company.
Follow our astronomy trip through out Tenerife in our series of posts dedicated to this adventure. Follow us every day for a different article on Astronomy in the Canary Islands.
- An interview with Mr. Luis Martínez Sáez, President of the Starlight Foundation.
- An introduction to Institute of Astrophysics of Canary Islands IAC (Instituto Astrofisica de Canarias).
- Visit of Teide Observatory with Dr. Alfred Rosenberg González
- Astrophotography session with Daniel López. In search of Comet Pan-Starrs.
- Astronomy trip in Photos and much more...
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
05 March 2013
Where & When to look for Comet Panstarrs this March 2013
Look at the West 30 minutes after Sunset in March 2013. For the whole month of March, Comet Panstarrs (C/2011 L4) will be visible for Northern hemisphere observers. On March 12 2013, the crescent Moon and the Comet are close to each other. It could be a great photo opportunity. Gather friends and family and get out to see this great event in the "twilight" sky.
Read a great article on Comet Panstarrs from
Wikipedia: C/2011 L4 a.k.a. Comet PANSTARRS
Photo credit: TheWeatherSpace.com Network
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
 |
Read a great article on Comet Panstarrs from
Wikipedia: C/2011 L4 a.k.a. Comet PANSTARRS
Photo credit: TheWeatherSpace.com Network
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
01 March 2013
Astronomy Club Toutatis night out. Visit to the ruins of Kuusisto Castle, South Finland
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| Ruins of Kuusisto Castle near Kaarina, Finland Credit: Astronomy club Toutatis Kustavi |
Astronomy Club Toutatis night out!
Visit to the Ruins of Kuusisto Castle near the city of Kaarina, Finland.
Great night to catch the almost full Moon over the ruins of a medieval castle in Southern Finland. I few friends and family members came to see the ruins under a clear night sky with many night sky object to be seen.
The Moon was at it's best as it rose in the background of the ruins landscape. The planet Jupiter was the brightest object in the night sky and was still a challenge to see in our "field" telescope. (70mm Meade refractor). Even at 6 km from the big city lights, this place could be rated as a dark sky site for observations. We had a nice snack while looking around and we looked some more through the telescope at the Moon. After a session of astrophotography we headed back home.
Great astronomy night. Thanks to everyone involved!
See more Pictures of the event on Facebook Astronomy Club Toutatis homepage.
Catch photos of the event Astronomy night out. Visit to the Ruins of Kuusisto Castle HERE
Wikipedia on Kuusisto Castle
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
18 February 2013
Suprise conjunction with the Moon, Jupiter and HIP 21517
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| Conjunction with the Moon, Jupiter and HIP 21517 (Click on picture to enlarge and see the supergiant HIP 21517 Left bottom of the Moon) |
Today I manage to see the Moon and Jupiter through the thin clouds. The conjunction was great,but as I crop the picture in editing I found a "bright" star near the Moon. So this picture shows a conjunction with the Moon, Jupiter and HIP 21517 (HD 29260).
HD 29260 or HIP 21517 is a white supergiant star in the constellation Taurus.
It shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 6.49. It an intrinsic
variable star that varies between magntitudes 6.49 and 6.83 over a
period of 3.15 days.
Sky position: RA 4h 37.2m, Dec +18° 32.4'
Common designations: HIP 21517, HD 2926
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| White Supergiant HIP 21517 near the Moon. prtScn @ Stellarium |
Great to be outside and take shots of the night sky. Clear skies!
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
15 February 2013
Meteorite hits central Russia, more than 500 people hurt
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| The trail of a falling object is seen above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, in this still image taken from video shot on February 15, 2013.
Credit: Reuters/OOO Spetszakaz
|
(Reuters) - More than 500 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, sending fireballs crashing to Earth, shattering windows and damaging buildings.
People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave according to a Reuters correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow.
A fireball blazed across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake which could be seen as far as 200 km (125 miles) away in Yekaterinburg. Car alarms went off, windows shattered and mobile phone networks were interrupted.
"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains.
"I felt like I was blinded by headlights," he said.
No fatalities were reported but President Vladimir Putin, who was due to host Finance Ministry officials from the Group of 20 nations in Moscow, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were informed.
A local ministry official said such incidents were extremely rare and Friday's events might have been linked to an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool due to pass Earth at a distance of 27,520 km (17,100 miles) but this was not confirmed.
Russia's space agency Roscosmos said the meteorite was travelling at a speed of 30 km (19 miles) per second and that such events were hard to predict. The Interior Ministry said the meteorite explosion had caused a sonic boom.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said 514 people had sought medical help, mainly for light injuries caused by flying glass, and that 112 of those were kept in hospital. Search groups were set up to look for the remains of the meteorite.
"There have never been any cases of meteorites breaking up at such a low level over Russia before," said Yuri Burenko, head of the Chelyabinsk branch of the Emergencies Ministry.
WINDOWS BREAK, FRAMES BUCKLE
Windows were shattered on Chelyabinsk's central Lenin Street and some of the frames of shop fronts buckled.
A loud noise, resembling an explosion, rang out at around 9.20 a.m. (12:20 a.m. ET). The shockwave could be felt in apartment buildings in the industrial city's center.
"I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend," said Andrei, a local resident who did not give his second name. "Then there was a flash and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shockwave that smashed windows."
A wall was damaged at the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant but a spokeswoman said there was no environmental threat.
Video of meteor falling to Earth on Friday February 15, 2013 (Live Leak video)
Although such events are rare, a meteorite is thought to have devastated an area of more than 2,000 sq km (1,250 miles) in Siberia in 1908, smashing windows as far as 200 km (125 miles) from the point of impact.
The Emergencies Ministry described Friday's events as a "meteor shower in the form of fireballs" and said background radiation levels were normal. It urged residents not to panic.
Chelyabinsk city authorities urged people to stay indoors unless they needed to pick up their children from schools and kindergartens. They said what sounded like a blast had been heard at an altitude of 10,000 meters (32,800 feet).
The U.S. space agency NASA has said an asteroid known as 2012 DA14, about 46 meters in diameter, would have an encounter with Earth closer than any asteroid since scientists began routinely monitoring them about 15 years ago.
Television, weather and communications satellites fly about 500 miles higher. The moon is 14 times farther away.
(Additional reporting by Natalia Shurmina in Yekaterinburg and Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow, Writing by Alexei Anishchuk and Timothy Heritage, Editing by Michael Holden)
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-russia-meteorite-idUSBRE91E05Z20130215
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
11 February 2013
Near-Earth Asteroid brush past Earth in record close flyby on Feb. 15 2013
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| Asteroid 2012 DA14 Close flyby seen from Turku, Finland Map of the sky and location of the Asteroid Click on picture to see where is the Asteroid in your location |
The asteroid will pass 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from the surface of Earth. It's closest approach will be from the center-point of Earth only of 34,100 km. The 2013 passage of 2012 DA14 by Earth is a record close approach for a known object of this size.
The risk of a collision with Earth is none. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will not impact Earth.
This event gives professional and amateur astronomers a like a great chance to study this Asteroid. The chance to see how space rocks passes us real close.
Here in the South of Finland, we will be attempting to locate it and take a picture of it. We hope the weather will be on our side.
Good luck if you are chasing the Asteroid, please post some pictures and timelapses of the event.
Read a great post HERE of David Dickinson on Universe Today that tells you how to view the Asteroid.
On heavens Above you can find the Asteroid trajectory for your location HERE
Wikipedia link: Asteroid 2012 DA14
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
28 January 2013
Carnival of Space # 286 Light pollution special edition here @ LINKS THROUGH SPACE
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| (Images: International Dark-Sky Assocation. When the eastern power grid failed, from Ontario to New York City, in August 2003, it revealed something many city dwellers had never seen: from horizon to horizon, a sky full of stars. Then the power came back on.) |
Welcome to Links Through Space, astronomy for everyone.
This is the blog of our Astronomy Club here in Kustavi, Finland
We write/post news about space related topics and we showcase our Astrophotos and Timelapses.
Our blog is a way for you to follow Space/Astronomy news and find new links through the Internet about Space and astronomy.
So here we have it, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Links Through Space is honored to declare the 286th Carnival of Space live from Kustavi Finland.
OPEN!
This Carnival of space #286 includes a Light pollution special edition.
Links Through Space has an article on Light pollution. A view of light pollution in astronomy these days.
Please visit the links in the article on light pollution carefully and participate actively to the many programs and events.
Thank You!
Links Through Space has an article on Light pollution. A view of light pollution in astronomy these days.
Please visit the links in the article on light pollution carefully and participate actively to the many programs and events.
Thank You!
Light Pollution. Do we have to be concerned?
16 January 2013
Opening of Space Exhibition in Turku, Finland
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| Space Exhibition 2013 Turku, Finland |
Lots of friends and family, good snacks and great show!
The exhibition has a main gallery room, an Ultra-violet room and an interactive room. The Main room is full of pictures from our astronomy trips and other events of the astronomy club. The UV room is filled with posters of space. The interactive room has a Moon-carpet where people can "stand on the Moon". Also on the wall you can draw the Universe with coal sticks. Also you find a radio with CD of sounds of Jupiter and the cosmos.
The Space Exhibition is up until February 15, 2013 @ LATTE cafe (Kristiinankatu 5) Turku, Finland. Here is the page Facebook for those interested in seeing more pictures and info of the event.
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| Opening of the Space Exhibition, Turku, Finland |
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| Preparing the Space exhibition (Go Essi!) |
09 January 2013
Conclusion of Our Journey through Moroccan Astronomy
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| Mosaic of the Milky Way in the Sahara desert, Morocco |
Many thanks to all the wonderful people we met along this journey.
Thank you!
See Articles and posts of Trip to the Sahara desert, Morocco HERE
Happy New Year 2013 to all and everyone and clear skies!
Photo Credit: Stefan Lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
04 January 2013
Links Through Space reaches 50 000 views. Thank you for your support!
Links Through Space has reached 50 000 views.
Astronomy is growing all around the world and the people are interested.
Thank you for your support and be assured we will keep on taking pictures of the night sky and report astronomy related news.
For the future Our Astronomy Club here in Kustavi, Finland remains open for new projects and activities concerning Astronomy that is beneficial for all. Astronomy trips, Space exhibitions, public observations etc...
Thanks for your support!
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
03 January 2013
Omega Centauri Globular cluster (NGC 5139) Maroccan style!
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| Omega Centauri globular cluster /NGC 5139) Credit: Stefan Lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis Click on picture to enlarge |
Featured in this sharp telescopic image, globular star cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) is some 15,000 light-years away. Some 150 light-years in diameter, the cluster is packed with about 10 million stars.
Omega Centauri is the largest of 150 or so known globular clusters that roam the halo of our Milky Way galaxy. Though most star clusters consist of stars with the same age and composition, the enigmatic Omega Centauri exhibits the presence of different stellar populations with a spread of ages and chemical abundances. In fact, Omega Centauri may be the remnant core of a small galaxy merging with the Milky Way (Source).
Personal observation of Omega Centauri in the Sahara desert, Morocco
At location 30 degrees North and 5 degrees West, Omega Centauri rose at 8 degrees above the horizon just before the Sunrise. In the desert, the conditions where ideal. Transparency 7/10 (Sand particules and Sunrise), Seeing 9/10, temperature: +6C. I used a Meade 400mm / 2000 mm with focus reducer of 6.3 and a Canon 550D at prime focus. First I look at it through an eyepiece of 32mm and saw it very nicely and detailed. Then took the camera and started to make practice shots to center it and focus it well. As my window of opportunity was closing, I shot away a series of photos. Every now and then (I mean every 2 minutes) I check to see if the focus was ok and if the telescope was still following the object adequately. I manage to get a few pictures including the one you see at the top. I was very pleased with this session, and what a feeling to be outside by my own and listening to the camera snapping photos and looking to the horizon and imagining my self inside Omega Centauri and visualizing the night sky bright and full of stars. It was fantastic!
Northern hemisphere watchers don't give up! Canadians set example.
Omega Centauri is essentially a Southern hemisphere Globular cluster, but Northern sky watchers down of 42 degrees have the opportunity to have a look at this superb object in the night sky. Here is a fabulous article of Canadian observers who has had a glimps at Omega Centauri. Please read the article HERE
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| Core of the globular cluster Omega Centauri Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) |
Colorful Stars Galore in the Gigantic Star Cluster Omega Centauri.
The Hubble Space Telescope snapped this panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. This is one of the first images taken by the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), installed aboard Hubble in May 2009, during Servicing Mission 4.
The image reveals a small region inside the massive globular cluster Omega Centauri, which boasts nearly 10 million stars. Globular clusters, ancient swarms of stars united by gravity, are the homesteaders of our Milky Way Galaxy. The stars in Omega Centauri are between 10 billion and 12 billion years old.
The story of stellar evolution is depicted by the wide variety of star colors and sizes within this image of the globular cluster. Most of the stars in this snapshot are yellow white, like our Sun. They are adult stars that are shining by hydrogen fusion. The bright orange, red, and blue stars represent the final, flashy stages of life for Sun-like stars. All of the stars in the image are cozy neighbors.
The average distance between any two stars in the cluster’s crowded core is roughly 13 times closer than our Sun’s nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri. Although the stars are close together, WFC3 can resolve each of them as individual stars. If anyone lived in this globular cluster, they would behold a star-saturated sky that is roughly 100 times brighter than Earth’s sky.
Omega Centauri is among the biggest and most massive of some 150 globular clusters orbiting within the Milky Way. It is one of the few globular clusters that can be seen with the unaided eye. The cluster resembles a small cloud in the southern sky and might easily be mistaken for a comet (Source).
See Globular cluster in wikipedia HERE
Fred Espenack Astropixels picture of Omega Centauri HERE
Omega Centauri on wikipedia HERE
Coordinates of Omega Centauri wikisky.org
Conclusion 7/7 of astronomy trip to Morocco. Hope you have enjoyed! Goodbye.
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
31 December 2012
Sahara Sky Hotel Observatory, Sahara desert, Morocco
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| The Sahara Sky Hotel, Sahara desert, Morocco Credit: Stefan Lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis |
For all of you who are serious stargazers, amateur astronomers or even professionals in the space domain, The Sahara Sky hotel is the place to be.
This fabulous Hotel situated in the middle of the desert with nothing around it except for a couple of local tent settlements and a big dune, is completely isolated from the world. This Moroccan style "fortress" called Kasbah is a very inviting building. The high sealings and the large rooms (dinner room, bar and study) are majestic and you feel in a royal palace type of rooms. On the second floor you find cozy rooms with terraces on a breath taking panorama view of the Sahara desert landscape.
We arrived at night and the night sky just blew out our minds. But the next morning when I opened the balcony doors, It stroke me silly the view out into nothing, only sand and table top mountains (highlands) and sand and more nothingness. I really had to look a couple of time outside to believe where i was. Just crazy!
This hotel in the middle of the desert is not only a hotel, it is also the first private observatory of North-Africa. On the hotel roof terrace, many high end telescopes are at the disposition of clients if they wish so. Great quality telescopes and fair accessories with GOTO technology to enhance the experience.
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| Fritz Gerd Köring Sahara Sky hotel, Morocco |
This man is incredible, the knowledge he has on astronomy and the vibrant way he tell it is just contagious. He bursts with energy when he speaks about astronomy, you immediately feel it. His passion straight away robes on you.
Mr Köring as he mentioned is a nomad by nature. At a young age he started to travel and see the world. He worked all over the planet in the animal health industry . As his nomadic nature took over he moved on and travel the world to America to make his fortune. Like he says it is not the money that is important, it is what you want to do with it. He built his Observatory and that is more than all the money he could have, says Mr. Köring.
Now retired Mr. Köring lives with his wife half of the year in Casablanca and the rest of the year in his fortress of solitude in the Sahara desert. He still has many projects he wants to work on, and by the looks of it, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Thank you very much for your hospitality Fritz! Your place is simply magical. An amateur astronomer like me dream come true!
Please visit the Hotel website HERE.
Please visit Sahara Sky Observatory (first private Observatory in North-Africa) HERE
Continue reading post 6 of 7 on trip to Morocco HERE
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
28 December 2012
Morocco: Astronomy trip in photos
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| Impressive Startrail over cupola in the Sahara desert Credit: Stefan Lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis Click on picture to enlarge |
For the 2 year anniversary of our astronomy club Toutatis, we flew to Morocco to catch a glimpse of the Moroccan astronomy and the beautiful night sky of the Sahara desert.
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| Omega Centauri globular cluster or NGC 5139 Credit: Stefan lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis Click on picture to enlarge |
Please have a look at our pictures on our astronomy club's Flickr gallery HERE
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| Representation of the Solar system with rocks of the Sahara desert Cerdit: Stefan Lamoureux Click on picture to enlarge |
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| Settlement in the Draa valley, Morocco Credit: Stefan Lamoureux / Astronomy club Toutatis Click on picture to enlarge |
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| Small village in Atlas mountains Credit: Stefan Lamoureux Click on picture to enlarge |
Read post 5/7 on trip to Astronomy Morocco HERE
About Astronomy Club Toutatis
27 December 2012
Morocco: ASTEROID 4179 TOUTATIS REDUX
Our Astronomy club Toutatis visited Morocco and the Sahara desert. We wanted to celebrate our 2 years anniversary of the club in a warm place, where we could have great skies.
As you may have noticed, our club is named after the Asteroid 4179 Toutatis ( Read On the search for asteroid Toutatis and the origin of our astronomy club's name).
We wanted to catch the asteroid for ourselves and see first hand what kind of object the asteroid was. It was very exciting to search for 4179 Toutatis.
We had at our disposition a 400mm Meade telescope GOTO and the coordinates for the asteroid. But never the less, when we entered the coordinates and centered the asteroid in the eyepiece, we only saw light dots and it was very hard to tell what was a star and what was the asteroid (fast moving object). We then set the camera as the eyepiece and took short (30 sec. to 2 minutes) exposure to see if something would stick out as a longer "line". Believe me, at first there was nothing different on the camera screen. As we checked and rechecked the coordinates of the asteroid, we took an other series of short exposures to see if we got it this time.
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| Asteroid 4179 Toutatis reveals itself |
You can see on the animation on the upper left, the asteroid is tumbling through space. We have in this animation 60 frames with an exposure of 30 seconds each for a total of 30 minutes of tumbling asteroid. If you look closely the "lines" should be of equal lengths, but you notice that they are not. This is due to the rotating asteroid in it's path. Very exciting!
Asteroid 4179 Toutatis is by far the most challenging and the most rewarding object that I found in the night sky. Even with the coordinates, a good telescope and support while looking for it, it was still very exciting to search for Asteroid 4179 Toutatis.
Thanks to every one present during the session, here we have it: Asteroid 4179 Toutatis ladies and gentelman! Wouhhouu! :D
Please visit wikipedia Asteroid 4179 Toutatis HERE
Please see article on close up gif animation of rotating asteroid 4179 Toutatis HERE
Please read article and see photos of asteroid Toutatis by Nancy Atkinson on Universe Today HERE
Read 4/7 posts on club's astronomy trip to Morocco. HERE
About Astronomy Club Toutatis article
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