Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 32

Observing Adventure

Leo by Night, Lions by Day
TRAVEL TO THE
HEART OF AFRICA'S
NATIONAL PARKS
FOR AN OBSERVING
ADVENTURE OF
A LIFETIME.
Nick Howes

I've been fortunate to have observed from some exotic locations in a quest for astronomical Nirvana. From Kitt Peak to
the mountains of Japan, I've visited some of the world's great
observatories and viewing locations. So when the offer to lead
an astronomy adventure came courtesy of African Environments, I simply couldn't refuse.
Our goal was to enjoy a week observing under the inkyblack skies of Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area, as
well as in the famous Serengeti National Park. Outside of the
rainy season, Tanzania boasts clear skies for more than 85%
of the year. The country is just south of the equator, which
presents observers the opportunity to enjoy views of the best
objects in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere skies.
The trip was dubbed "Lions by Day - Leo by Night,"
indicative of the wildlife we might encounter with our safari
and astronomical activities. Our guests first spent a night at
the Arusha Hotel on the foot of active volcano Mount Meru
where we all had a chance to meet and recover from any jet lag.
We then departed for three nights under the dark skies of the
Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania.

Daylight Adventures
As anyone who's done a bit of astro-tourism will tell you, daylight activities can make or break a trip almost as easily as the
observing activities. This is especially true if you're traveling
with family members with little interest in astronomy. So while
we were all eager to get to the "Leo" part of our expedition, the
"Lion" part was also crucial to the trip's success.
The Crater Highlands in the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area were around 100 miles from our arrival point in Arusha,
so after an early breakfast, we headed out across the landscape.
Our guides had spent several years on location and were intimately familiar with the sights and creatures we encountered
on our journey. With their ability to spot animals at incredible
distances, their keen eyesight would put a hawk to shame.
The roads to Ngorongoro were well cared for, so we enjoyed
a very smooth ride all the way from Arusha up to the entrance
to the Conservation Area. Even inside the park, the well-worn
tire tracks weren't the bumpy off-road excursions I had experienced a decade earlier while visiting Kenya.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest drained volcanic caldera
in the world. Covering over 100 square miles, it's part of the
larger Conservation Area designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage site that receives about a half-million visitors a year.
The sprawling 14-mile-wide crater is sometimes likened to the
fictional "Jurassic Park" grounds, with a rich ecosystem home
32

June 2016 sky & telescope



Sky and Telescope - June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - June 2016

Contents
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - Cover1
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - Cover2
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 1
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - Contents
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 3
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - A
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - B
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 4
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 5
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 6
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 7
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 8
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 9
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 10
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 11
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 12
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 13
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 14
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 15
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 16
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 17
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 18
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 19
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 20
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 21
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 22
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 23
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 24
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 25
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 26
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 27
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 28
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 29
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 30
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 31
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 32
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 33
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 34
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 35
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 36
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 37
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 38
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 39
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 40
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 41
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 42
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 43
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 44
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 45
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 46
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 47
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 48
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 49
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 50
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 51
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 52
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 53
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 54
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 55
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 56
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 57
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 58
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 59
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 60
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 61
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 62
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 63
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 64
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 65
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 66
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 67
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 68
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 69
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 70
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 71
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 72
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 73
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 74
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 75
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 76
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 77
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 78
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 79
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 80
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 81
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 82
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 83
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 84
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - Cover3
Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202404_qr
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202401_aus
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202312_aus
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202304_qr
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/skywatch_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_mars
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com