Stargazing in Sutherland
For most people, particularly those who living in big cities getting a clear view of the starts is increasingly difficult. Tall buildings, air pollution, and light pollution distort the image of the sky, obscuring some of its most wondrous sights. None of these problems exist in the small South African town of Sutherland, which is today acknowledged as one of the world’s preeminent stargazing sites. Photo by: carolune
The town’s remote, elevated location [1,458 m] above sea level), complete lack of high-rise development, unpolluted air, and clear, cloudless skies combine to provide almost perfect astronomical vistas. Indeed, so good is the town’s setting that it was chosen as the location for the South African Astronomical Observatory, the southern hemisphere largest optical telescope. Photo by: darkness boy
Capable of looking billions of light-years back into the past, the powerful machine has produced invaluable information about the history and structure of the universe. Photo by: carolune
However, it is not just scientists and astronomers who can enjoy the area’s enthralling midnight panoramas. At the Olifants Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, visitors can undertake special ”Night-Time Experience. These begin in the afternoon with a game drive on the lockout for the region’s other great attraction – its wildlife – and continue as dusk falls with an interesting talk on the stars and local astrological folklore, before ending with a bout of stargazing through the camp’s own powerful telescope. Visitors have the chance to see lions, elephants, and giraffes in the heat of the afternoon and then quietly contemplate the Milky Way and Southern Cross in the coolness of night. Photo by: carolune
Photo by: Dr_neil
