A Journey to the Stars: Discovering Astro-tourism
The majority of the world’s population lives together in massive urban cities that are densifying each day. While some crave the hustle and bustle a city brings, there may be this yearning to travel to wide-open spaces full of life with no one around at all. It’s perhaps even more appealing when one looks up at night to a vast universe full of planets, stars and galaxies. In the city, one may see only the brightest stars due to light pollution. Cities never sleep, and lights are on from the moment the sun is down until it rises again the next day. When a city slicker makes it out into the great wild yonder, they may be amazed at just how many dots of light there actually are out there. Even for those who are lucky to live away from cities, there is nothing quite like seeing the Milky Way or Big Dipper on a clear night. Our planet is just a tiny rock in a ridiculously large universe, and seeing the night sky helps to bring that into perspective. Traveling to see the stars is gaining a lot of popularity, especially among those who do live in cities. Even Treasure Box Tours is getting in on the fun! Each year we have a tour to a dark-sky community so that we may see the stars and learn the history of an area. We do it seasonally as well so that folks may see different celestial objects at different times of the year. This year we even went to Alaska to see the auroras, a part of Astro-tourism.
Traveling to open spaces to see the night sky is a great way to travel, but Astro-tourism may include so much more. This month, we have a few trip ideas so that you may get your space jam on, celestially!
The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona
1. Visit museums, planetariums and observatories
Taking a visit to your local museum, planetarium or observatory is a great way to enjoy the curiosities of space without having to leave the city, day or night. Here in Colorado, there are several places you may visit along the Front Range that we would recommend. In Fort Collins, you have the Museum of Discovery. Here, you may catch a space-themed show at their digital Otterbox Dome theater, their own version of a planetarium. In Boulder, you may visit the Fiske Planetarium, on the University of Colorado campus, to learn from experts in the field. In Denver, check out the Chamberlain Observatory and learn about their historic telescope. Then, head to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for a visit to their space exhibit and planetarium, then watch a show at their new Infinity Theater. If you happen to be in Colorado Springs, then check out the Space Foundation Discovery Center, full of exhibits that cover everything it requires for humans to be in space itself.
2. Spend the night in an International Dark Sky community
The International Dark Sky program got started with the folks at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Essentially, cities/communities may participate in this program that encourages residents to use energy-efficient lighting, lighting that is turned toward the ground or covered and to use less light at night in general. All of those efforts combined create less light pollution, which allows more people to see the beautiful night sky. Once a city qualifies, based on meeting requirements provided by the program, they become a dark-sky city or area. There are lots all over the country and even abroad, so they’re well worth a visit! For Treasure Box Tours, this is our Starry, Starry Night series of trips. In Colorado, we’ve traveled to Westcliffe, Naturita and Nucla, and this month we travel to Lake City. Next year, in January, we will be going to Flagstaff and to the Lowell Observatory to see where it all started! In that way, we will have seen the stars in all seasons. How meteoric!
3. Stay at a national park
Another great way to see the night sky is at a national park! There are many national parks to choose from, and you may camp or stay in a historic lodge, which makes it easy. There are often ranger-led astronomy programs as well, so you won’t have to bring your own telescope. You could try for night skies from the silhouettes of sandstone structures at Arches National Park. Or, if you want the forest all around you, try for the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Have you ever seen the Milky Way while lying on an ocean of sand? No? An overnight at Great Sand Dunes National Park will do the trick. Or how about seeing the stars with the sound of crashing waves nearby? Take a camping trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and you’re sure to find serenity. Just think of your favorite national park and then see it at night. Imagine the possibilities! Each park has something different to offer, and while the stars and galaxies themselves may not change, the vistas in which you view them makes a lot of difference.
4. Follow the eclipses
Have you ever heard of an umbraphile? That’s a person who travels all around the world chasing total solar eclipses! Kevin would even classify himself as one of those these days. Seeing the total solar eclipse is awe-inspiring, so it makes sense that anyone seeing it for the first time might instantly become an umbraphile. Partial eclipses happen every year somewhere in the world, with a total solar eclipse every year and a half, or so. Every so often we get lucky when the path of totality comes over the United States. The next time this will happen is on April 8, 2024, so mark your calendars! The eclipse will travel from Mexico up to New England and into a little of Canada. While we won’t be leading a tour as part of our repertoire, it’s not too late for you to plan your own eclipse extravaganza! Kevin will be in Mexico, and Michael will be in Texas. We encourage you to find yourself a spot along the path and make it a trip. If you need advice, let us know. TBT might build future trips with the eclipse in mind, perhaps even one that happens while on a cruise in the middle of the ocean …one day, perhaps. Can we rise to the level of an eclipsed star? Unknown, but with a passionate umbraphile at the helm, it’s always a possibility!
With these ideas in mind, grab a red light, star chart and telescope and look to the skies this summer for a universe of wonder.
“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”
Sarah Williams, Twilight Hours: a Legacy of Verse
