Astro Trails (2024)

08/04/2024

Breathtaking display today in Torreon!

The weather kept us guessing on whether we would see anything today, but yet again the total solar eclipse did not disappoint! Thank you to all our amazing customers who joined us for this special occasion and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Please remember to tag us in any picture you took from today, we always love to see them.

📷: Nick James

05/03/2024

We are offering a great opportunity for you to be amongst the best-dressed for this year’s Mexico, USA and Easter Island tours.

There is still time to get hold of our exclusive Astro-Trails 2024 merchandise, ahead of your trip with us. These items are only available in our online store.

Each tour has its own unique design and is available on a limited, exclusive range of merchandise, including Hoodies, Caps and T-shirts. All our T-shirts are made from 100% organic ring-spun cotton. High quality, super-comfy and best of all, eco-friendly.

We have production facilities worldwide, so wherever possible, garments are mailed to you directly from the country the order is placed, keeping mailing costs and timings to a minimum.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Order yours today.

https://astro-trails.spud.uk.com/

21/02/2024

On Sunday, February 25th, the Moon will reach its farthest point in its orbit around Earth, known as Apogee.

This is when the Moon is at its furthest distance from Earth - around 251,000 miles (405,500km) away.

If it is a full moon or New Moon when it is at its apogee, it is referred to as a Micro-Moon or Mini-Moon. This year, the Full Moon on February 23rd/24th will be classified as a 'Micro-Moon', and there will be a couple more later this year.

The 'Perigee' Moon is the opposite of Apogee, and it appears 13-14% bigger and 27-30% brighter than an 'Apogee' Moon.

06/02/2024

This time, with Travelers' Tales, we venture back to the 16th February 1980 Total Solar Eclipse with co-founder Brian McGee, who recounts his experiences. Read on:

I had driven over the road from Mombasa to Malindi some twenty years earlier when Kenya was still a colony and the road had aged no better than the rest of the country’s infrastructure. The plan was to observe the eclipse from the coast near Kilifi so we made some rapid changes to departure times to allow for the unpredictable Malindi Ferry and elephant-sized potholes in the roads.

Every detail was in place the night before the eclipse, but then our coach disappeared – it appeared the driver had relatives in the area so he “borrowed” it to go and visit them! This was Africa 1980... no mobile phones or any such luxury, but we did find another coach the next day thankfully to get us to the site.

Meanwhile a small group of lions had settled on the intended observation site, so we moved down-track a bit.

Glorious eclipse in brilliant blue sky, interrupted at totality by our neighbours on a rocket launch platform just off the coast who set about launching half a dozen sounding rockets during totality. The local villagers had turned out to watch the show but mostly to observe the small herd of people who had gathered in their field, looking skyward with weird machines.

Great side trips on this project, including the game parks with views of magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro.

Image Credits: Harry Hammond via Insight Observatory

Do you remember this Eclipse? We would love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below. If you would like to feature your memories from some of your favourite solar eclipses, or if you can spot yourself on any of our Travelers Tales images please send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

24/01/2024

Why not visit our new shop (in collaboration with spud.uk.com) for your branded TSE2024 and ASE2024 merchandise - https://www.astro-trails.com/shop

23/01/2024

The "Wolf Moon" earned its name from The Maine Farmers' Almanac, which started the tradition of assigning "Indian" names to Full Moons. This age-old practice has grown in popularity since its introduction in the 1930s. According to folklore, the name originated from villagers who heard the wolves howling outside their homes during this particular Full Moon.

This Full Moon is also known as the "Ice Moon" due to the frigid weather that often accompanies it. It is also called the "Hard Moon" because of the frozen ground and the challenges that arise when getting around at this time of year. The "Old Moon" is another name given to this Full Moon, as it marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year.

As always we would love to see any pictures you manage to get, so please remember to send them to us or tag us!

22/01/2024

Astro Trails are excited to announce their TSE2026 Iceland & Scoresby Sound Total Solar Eclipse Cruise, aboard the Swan Hellenic Diana. Launched in May 2023, SH Diana provides elegant and spacious 5-star accommodation for 192 guests in 96 spacious staterooms and suites. A fantastic 'Stargazing' top deck offers an ideal eclipse observation platform and there is also the Swan Nest on Deck 6, for observing breathtaking passages between islands and snow-capped mountains from the bow of the ship.

Details can be found here on our website - https://www.astro-trails.com/2026-east-greenland-scoresby-sound-itinerary

or click on the following link to open a flipbook for further details of the voyage - https://online.fliphtml5.com/qmere/gmbh/ =1

18/01/2024

This week there are quite a few amazing things you can see with a telescope. Keep an eye out for Jupiter and its Moons - near the Moon, the Constellation Orion and the Orion Nebula.

Orion is made up of many different stars and is most identifiable through the three stars that make up Orion's belt. If you look South from Orion's belt you will find Orion's sword and within the sword (if you are using a telescope or binoculars) you will be able to see the Orion nebula in all its glory! The Orion nebula is a luminous emission nebula is powered by radiation from young stars in the Trapezium Cluster.

Orion will take up the South of the night sky at around 22:00 UT mid-January and 21:00 on the 31st January.

As always let us know if you manage to spot this cosmic wonder, and if you get any snaps please tag us - we would love to see them!

Swipe to see the picture!

📷 Bryan Goff on Unsplash

11/01/2024

This time, with Travelers' Tales, we travel back to the 1998 Solar Eclipse with co-founder Brian McGee, who recounts his experiences. Read on:

"The resort islands of the Caribbean offered a tempting location for the 1998 solar eclipse, with Curacao on the track but not quite on the centreline so the choice was either the hotel luxury of Curacao or a more adventurous option to the remote Paraquana Peninsula on the coast of Venezuela where the duration of totality would last about 20 seconds longer. Both sites enjoyed clear sunny skies with beachside observation sites and a warm winter holiday enjoyed by all.

The Venezuela group travelled down to Peru after the tour and visited the old Inca city of Machu Picchu. This was the rainy season and the train trip from Cusco had exciting views of the Urubamba River in full spate. Waiting to join the return train, the group became aware of a large tributary to the river which had become blocked and ceased to flow. There was a rush to join the train before an anticipated flood, but as the train started it jumped the tracks and required manhandling to put it back on. There was considerable relief when it finally moved off!"

Do you remember this exciting Eclipse, or do you recognise yourself/anyone in the snaps taken? We would love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below. If you would like to feature your memories from some of your favourite solar eclipses, or if you can spot yourself on any of our Travelers Tales images please send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

03/01/2024

The Quadrantid Meteor shower occurs every year throughout the month of January.

This year, they reach their peak activity on the 4th of January at 10:00 am UTC. Whilst this is in daylight for UK stargazers, the shower can be observed on the night of the 3rd of January until daylight on the 4th and should still allow for a show!

The peak of this shower is particularly short but has a high peak Zenithal hourly rate of 120 meteors per hour.

See the map (2nd picture) to locate the radiant of the Quadrantids tonight.

If you do go out to observe them:
☄️Wrap up warm
☄️Alternate viewing and warming up sessions (no more than 30-60 minutes for viewing sessions)
☄️Download a star map app to help locate the Radiant

Reference
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/quadrantid-meteor-shower-when-how-to-see

You can use this link to locate the Radiant from your location:
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/quadrantids.html

21/12/2023

Tonight when the skies get dark you will be able to see Jupiter near to the moon toward the southeast and you can watch them travel westward together.

An interesting fact about this Gas Giant is that it acts as an 'Earth Protector' due to its enormous gravitational field. Jupiter deflects comets and asteroids that would have otherwise hit the Earth

Don't forget to take your telescope and enjoy viewing this beautiful planet. Don't hesitate to tag us in any pictures you take!

References:
https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/without-jupiter-home-alone/ #:~:text=In%20our%20own%20solar%20system,for%20life%20to%20evolve%20here.

14/12/2023

In December, the Asteroid Vesta will reach opposition in the Northern Hemisphere, which is the point where it is directly opposite to the sun, making it brighter and easier to observe. This event occurs every 19 months, and it will be at its brightest and most visible in the night sky. You can observe it using binoculars or a small telescope.

Vesta is located near the raised arm of Orion and the leg of Castor in Gemini. It is the second-largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and is known for its unique surface features, including the massive Rheasilvia impact basin.

The best time to observe Vesta is between 1 am and 2 am when it is at its highest altitude in the sky. During this time, it will be visible in the eastern sky and will remain visible until the early morning hours. So, mark your calendars and don't miss this incredible opportunity to witness this celestial wonder.

Read more about the Asteroid Vesta here: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/see-asteroid-vesta

As always, let us know if you have taken any pictures of this Asteroid and remember to share them with us!

📷: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

07/12/2023

It's Time Traveler's Tales Thursday again! This week co-founder Brian McGee takes us to Australia in December 2002!

"Back in the days of the British Empire, delusions of grandeur extended to the idea of a space rocket launch base in Australia, in addition to contaminating some the desert and surrounding islands with nuclear radiation. The Woomera military base and remnants of the old rocket launch remained, together with an acceptable small hotel.

To add extra capacity for the project, we worked with a local rail firm and chartered the Ghan train complete with a good range of sleeping cars. The train travelled from Adelaide and parked up on a branch line while the group observed the eclipse from the base and all enjoyed a loud Aussie "barbie" before re-joining the train for a trip up to Alice Springs.

This was a rare adventure with a very short but spectacular eclipse, low in the clear evening sky."

Do you remember this Eclipse? We would love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment below. If you would like to feature your memories from some of your favourite solar eclipses, or if you can spot yourself on any of our Travelers Tales images please send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

24/11/2023

For those in the Northern Hemisphere: If you look in the direction of the southern sky a few hours after sunset in November, you'll be able to spot the planet Saturn halfway up the sky sitting in the Aquarius constellation. This region of the sky is filled with constellations that have a water-related theme, which is why it's often referred to as "the Sea" or "the Water."

The Aquarius constellation depicts a human pouring water from a jug. Other water-related constellations nearby include Pisces, the fishes, and Capricornus, the mythical sea goat. Just below Aquarius lies the Southern Fish, and above it is Delphinus (the Dolphin). Towards the east of Aquarius, you'll find the Cetus constellation, which represents a sea monster or whale, and next to it is the Eridanus constellation, which represents a long, winding cosmic river (see the second slide for a map of these constellations).

These constellations all have Greek mythology surrounding them - like Cetus, the sea monster, who was slain by Perseus, and Delphinus the dolphin, who was placed amongst the stars by Poseidon after Delphinus convinced Amphitrite to marry Poseidon.

Read more about Greek Mythology and Star Constellations here:
https://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/star-myths.html

Whilst these star patterns aren't bright or easy to identify, it's fascinating to learn that this entire section of the sky is packed with mythical water-related figures.

So, why not wrap up warm, grab a hot chocolate (or mulled wine...after all 'tis the season) and use your telescope or binoculars to observe these cosmic wonders whilst also reading the incredible history of the star constellations and the mythology around them!

Reference:
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/

18/11/2023

Last few spaces now remaining on TSE2024 - Mexico Tour 4 (1 male twin share space) and USA Tour B (2 rooms remaining).

Book here - [https://www.astro-trails.com/provisional-reservation-form](https://www.astro-trails.com/provisional-reservation-form?fbclid=IwAR1rKAo-9-uSLXZc4b4NeEwKQIE5Zq3uxLUnFMYlPCFQZ9Vs9ptfJEOp6Tc)

Photo credit: Nick James - TSE2015, Svalbard

16/11/2023

The Leonid Meteor shower is occurs each year throughout the month of November. Its peak this year is on the nights of the 17th and 18th November. The meteor shower can (under the right circumstances) be seen by the naked eye i.e. in an area with low light pollution, clear skies, and it also depends on the phase of the moon.

Facts:
☄️The Leonid Meteors radiate from the Leo constellation, which is where it gets its name from.
☄️
There could be around15 Meteors per hour.

☄️This shower is popular due to periodic increases in the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR)* every 33 years. This means we can see a 'storm-level display' of around 1,000 to 100,000 Meteors per hour. The next time this will occur will be 2032/33.

☄️The best time to see this shower is between midnight on the 17th and dawn on the 18th November.

Read more about it in the Sky at Night article here:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/leonid-meteor-shower-when-how-see

*Zenithical Hourly Rate is the amount of Meteors seen per hour.

02/11/2023

As we are now in November, we decided to look back to the Total Solar Eclipse in Peru in 1994. Read more below to hear from our co-founder Brian McGee and learn more about what it is like to go on one of our tours from his perspective.

"This eclipse offered a great introduction to South America for many in the group, with the ancient remains of Machu Picchu as a magnificent highlight. The party on the Tierra del Fuego extension barely made it to the eclipse after they were locked in when the Antarctic weather closed the airport in Ushuaia.

We had two observation sites, with a “safe” option at sea level near the Peru town of Tacna and an alternative at over 12,000ft in the Chilean Andes. The Andes site was based on a quick dash to altitude from the town of Arica on the coast, hopefully avoiding significant altitude effects.

Everything was set and coaches lined up and ready, then a summons from the local military head honcho. “Your coaches are all over 5 years old, I have issued a decree to prohibit coaches over 5 years from going up the mountains.” Hasty negotiation and yes, we would agree to rent the newer army buses in his yard for the trip. Magnificent site overlooking a valley with a couple of volcanoes puffing away on the far side and alpacas grazing in the foreground. The Comandante did throw in a free breakfast at an army camp, which was good, but the speed with which the effects of altitude was rather tougher than expected."

Comment below if you saw this eclipse and let us know what your favourite, most memorable, part of your trip was!

12/10/2023

Eclipse enthusiasts worldwide have converged to witness this year's annual solar eclipse. The path of this Annular Solar Eclipse spans across the United States (Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas), Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth align, but the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth, not allowing for 'Totality.' This creates the famous 'Ring of Fire' around the Moon.

We appreciate how photogenic Annular Solar Eclipses can be and we have seen some of your journeys to your chosen observation sites. We would love it if you could tag us in any amazing pictures you take on the day (or just any pictures you take during your trip!)

The upcoming Annular Solar Eclipse has got us thrilled for what's to come. Although we won't be part of it this year, we're already planning our trip to Easter Island and Argentinian Patagonia for next year's October Annular Solar Eclipse. Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience by clicking the link in our story to learn more about the tour.

📷 Nick James

05/10/2023

Enjoy another (our version of ) from our very own Brian McGee!

The remnants of Fatehpur Sikri, a deserted town on the edge of a vast plain provided a location resonant with India’s old Moghul past, an ideal location with a perfectly clear sky. A chance to tick off a lot of “bucket list” tourist boxes, Agra, Jaipur, Delhi, the Taj Mahal and a train ride into the Himalayas to Darjeeling. A line of elephants carrying people from the group up the steep hill to the historic Amber Palace was probably the most photogenic image of this venture.

Quite a different journey from most of our expeditions as this was very much on the tourist circuit and a straightforward operation without the “remote region” element that usually adds spice to these trips!

Comment below if you joined us on this trip or even saw it through your own means, we'd love to hear your stories! Remember to tag us in any pictures you find of it, or send it to us directly; we might just post it on our social media!

29/09/2023

Go outside tonight and enjoy the splendour of the Harvest Moon! This Moon marks the Autumnal Equinox, when days and nights are the same length.

Historically the Harvest Moon has been used to notify farmers when it is time to harvest their crops. Additionally, the bright full Moonlight in the early evenings would help farmers lengthen their days in order to ensure all their crops were harvested.

Due to the Moon's proximity to the horizon, it often has a glorious orange hue! This is due to the light having to pass through a more substantial thickness of the Earth's atmosphere, meaning the shorter wavelengths of visible light (e.g. blue light) do not pass through (BBC Sky at Night).

Read more about the Harvest Moon here by clicking the link in our story!

A supermoon is when the Moon is closer to the Earth, so it appears as though it is bigger and brighter than a usual full Moon. It is in fact 14% closer, 25% brighter and 7% bigger than your average Full Moon. It is sometimes also called a 'Perigee' or 'Proxigen' Moon.

So, go out, grab a hot flask, a small telescope (or even just your naked eye) and enjoy this cosmic spectacle!

And again remember to tag us in any pictures you get of this wonderful sight!

References:
Harvest Moon: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/astrophotography/moon/harvest-moon
Why the Moon sometimes looks orange: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/why-moon-sometimes-looks-orange
Super Moon:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/supermoon-what-when-next

19/09/2023

Venus has been a bright object in our night skies most of the year, and it has returned again but now in the early morning! It will be high in the sky for all you Northern Hemisphere skygazers out there!

Although Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin due to its similarity in size and density, there are several noticeable differences between the two planets.
*Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere filled with sulphuric acid clouds that trap heat, leading to a reverse greenhouse gas effect. This results in Venus having the highest surface temperature in our solar system, reaching around 475 degrees Celsius (900 degrees Fahrenheit). So, despite being further away from the Sun than Mercury, Venus is hotter.
*Venus rotates in the opposite direction to Earth, with the Sun rising in the West and setting in the East.
*The planet has a rusty colour with 'intensely crunched mountains' and potentially active volcanoes.
*The surface pressure of Venus is roughly 90 times greater than that of Earth.

Comment below if you have photographed Venus this year or hope to this month! And remember to tag us in any pictures you take!

Reference: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2989/whats-up-september-2023-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

12/09/2023

Zodiacal light or 'False Dawn' is a hazy pyramid of light that appears in the eastern horizon before morning twilight. For southern hemisphere stargazers, it can be seen on the western horizon when evening twilight ends.

The light is easiest to see during the equinox on 22nd September when both hemispheres experience roughly the same length of day and night and/or on a new moon on 14th September, depending on cloud coverage.

So, what is Zodiacal Light? It is defused sunlight scattered off interplanetary dust clouds within our solar system. This cloud stretches all the way from the sun to the inner fringes of the main asteroid belt just past Mars. Although the origin of the Zodiacal Light has long been a topic of discussion, there are now debates that it could be due to dust storms on Mars.

As always remember to tag us in your pictures, we would love to share some of your astronomical snaps!

Credit: ESO / Babak Tafreshi / twanight.org - ESO/B. Tafreshi (twanight.org)

References
1. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2989/whats-up-september-2023-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/
2. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/zodiacal-light-false-dusk-how-to-see-explanation/

07/09/2023

Travellers Tales Thursdays!

Look through a small gallery of pictures of Astro Trail's viewing site in Iran back in 1999.

Read below a short blog from one of our founders Brian McGee!

One of our largest ventures to date in 1999, with two trains on charter in the UK to offer a day trip to Cornwall where the eclipse track crossed the far southwest of the county. On the day the UK weather delivered the rain and cloud for which it is well known and all but a few lucky people saw little of the eclipse. The folk who made the journey to more sunny climes reaped the benefit on this occasion, with clear sunny skies for the other three groups.

Romania was a country still locked down by an old Soviet era regime, with few tourists and our group experienced generous hospitality as rare visitors and much curiosity about their purpose.

The tourism infrastructure in Turkey guaranteed a comfortable and trouble-free expedition, at least until it became clear that the security conditions in the west of the country were not quite as secure as the bland assurances provided in advance. As we arrived at the observation site a detachment of soldiers saluted the group, then formed a defensive perimeter around the site. “It’s ok”, the agent told me “these soldiers are ours”. This group continued with visits to some of the Turkey’s historic places, but the drama had not quite concluded at that point. We were to finish our tour by crossing the Dardanelle Strait before heading to Istanbul for our final night. A large earthquake struck Istanbul that night with the effect felt in our hotel some 140 miles away. Natures forces are never far away.

Sunny skies also in Iran, and an adventure of a different kind for that group. Negotiating with the head honcho of a local village to observe from the town cemetery followed by a tour in convoy with local armed guards following some instability in Kerman province as the group neared Bam. A fantastic blue sky eclipse and an amazing cultural and archaeological adventure nevertheless!

Comment below if you remember this Total Eclipse, and let us know where you saw it!

01/09/2023

With spaces now very limited on our TSE2024 Project Mexico tours, we are delighted to announce an additional tour - Mexico Tour 6: A Mexican Quickie! For the time conscious, this is a 4 day tour which includes return flights from Mexico City, superior Torreon accommodation, all transfers and access to the Astro Trails observation site.
Visit our website for more details - https://www.astro-trails.com/tour-6-a-mexican-quickie-april-2024

23/08/2023

Throughout August, Saturn has been prominent in our night skies and will be at its best this Sunday (27th August)!

This ringed, gas giant wonder is at the opposition, which means it is on the opposite side to Earth as the sun so it's currently the biggest and brightest it will be all year! It can be seen as early as 9pm in the eastern sky. If you are lucky and the skies are dark and clear you may also be able to see the Capricornus constellation (an arrow-shaped constellation), just up from Saturn.

Saturn is the 2nd largest planet in our solar system, and, much like Jupiter which was seen earlier this month, it's a gas giant. It is made of mainly helium and hydrogen which means that it is uninhabitable to life as we know it, but some of its moons may have the right environment for life to thrive. Saturn has 53 known moons and 29 moons that are yet to be confirmed.

This will be such an awe-inspiring sight to see, so grab your telescope and enjoy viewing it!

Remember to tag us in any pictures you snap of this wonderful planet!

Reference:
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/

Astro Trails