Night Sky Safaris for Lodges
We specialises in showcasing the African night sky to people of all ages and experience. We offer a variety of astronomical experiences including star gazing evenings, presentations, astronomy training for the guiding industry and even astrophotography, all guaranteed to leave you starstruck! We believe in highlighting the cultual and environmental aspects of astronomy. From how astronomy allowed early man to navigate and establish a society, to the traditional stories associated with the constellations, our Night Sky Safaris take people on a journey of discovery aginst the most stunning backdrop of them all.
Our equipment is portable so we travel to you, be it at a private residence, a school or whilst staying at a lodge deep in the African bush. Regardless of your location, our events will take you on a journey through the stars that will capture your imagination and give you a unique perspective of our place in the cosmos. We conduct our Night Sky Safaris with a high-powered laser pointer, binoculars and our professional 10-Inch Meade GPS telescope that offers out of this world views! Literally!
Our Night Sky Safaris include:
- Prominent constellations and their mythologies
- The Moon
- Planets
- Star Clusters
- Distant Nebulae & Galaxies
- And More!
Rates
R350 PP (Minimum charge R1000)
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Approximately 90 Mins.
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Objects observed will be dependent on the date, time and Moon phase.
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Guests are advised to bring Binoculars and a Star App.
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Warm clothing is advised during the colder winter months.
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Please note that no seating is provided.
Note
Rate excludes travel, board and lodging.
We also do FGASA Astronomy Training
We are a registered Training Provider for the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa and is the author of FGASA’s new Advanced Astronomy Qualification. Our FGASA training is based on the required syllabus and includes a series of lectures and practical sessions, workbook workshops and constellation charts. All the equipment needed for the qualification can be provided: Manual, Workbook, Special Exam Sitting, On-Site Marking and Practical Assessment.
- Introductory Training 1 day
- FGASA Advanced On-Site Lodge Training 4 or 5 days
Astrophotography
We offer tuition in long exposure photography and some of the techniques used to capture striking Milky Way panoramas and Star Trails. For the more adventurous photographers, we can offer the opportunity to take spectacular images of the Moon, Saturn and bright areas of nebulosity such as The Great Orion Nebula, through our professional Meade 10 inch GPS telescope! We also offer post processing workflows on Photoshop as well as various free astrophotography software. Please contact us directly with questions regarding equipment and requirements.
Contact
If a Lodge is interested or any individual or group please email me at gerhard@hoedspruit.net for information, availability and final quote.