Astronomy Adventures and Vacations

This astronomy travel guide exposes the many wonderful opportunities for experiencing the observing hobby farther afield. Amateur astronomy is often consigned to observing from home or from a local park, yet it can be much more. Treadwell explores all the possibilities of astronomical and space related activities that are available on day trips and longer vacations. These activities range from observatory visits and other simple ways to build an astronomy event into a holiday, to full blown specialized astronomy travel. There are a wide variety of activities offered for all budgets, often at popular holiday destinations. Many trips give the opportunity to visit one of the world's many space related attractions. On most vacations it can be a matter of just taking a day (or night) out of your schedule to fit in an astronomy event, but larger, dedicated pilgrimages are also possible. How to make the most of astronomy potential on a holiday, whether observing on the beach in Hawaii with the Telescope Guy or visiting the summit of Mauna Kea, is covered in detail. There are a wide variety of activities for all budgets, covering many popular travel destinations. The Star Party scene is also explored, with practical advice on how to get the most out of these events and the National Parks and Dark Sky Parks events. Additionally, there are now numerous opportunities with various conventions and specialist events to meet an astronaut. Information is also given about the numerous ways of enjoying the Northern Lights, including aurora flights and one-off events such as eclipses and desert skies. For the more adventurous, there are visits to Star City in Russia for cosmonaut training or even witnessing a launch or landing at the Baikonur Centre in Kazakhstan. Amateur astronomers of all levels will find the right match for their travel and star gazing bug in these pages.