Cruise Ship Astronomy and Astrophotography

357 Pages·2018·13.477 MB·English

by  Gregory I. Redfern

Gregory I. Redfern
Cruise Ship
Astronomy and
Astrophotography
The Patrick Moore
The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
Series Editor
Gerald R. Hubbell
Mark Slade Remote Observatory, Locust Grove, VA, USA
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/3192
Cruise Ship
Astronomy and
Astrophotography
Gregory I. Redfern
Gregory I. Redfern
NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador
Ruckersville, VA, USA
ISSN 1431-9756 ISSN 2197-6562 (electronic)
The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
ISBN 978-3-030-00957-1 ISBN 978-3-030-00958-8 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00958-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018960832
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation,
broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information
storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication
does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant
protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors
or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims
in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Thank you Laurie, Rachel, and Daniel
for letting me roam the seas
and explore the stars.
Preface
Ahoy, shipmate!
If you are reading this book, you must be interested in taking a cruise
AND including astronomy-astrophotography as part of your voyage, or at
least thinking about it. I have been fortunate to be a Special Interest Lecturer
on astronomy and space for Azamara Club Voyages, Cunard, Holland
America Lines, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal
Caribbean International, SeaDream Yacht Club, and Windstar Cruises Line.
In the dozens of voyages and tens of thousands of guests I have had the
pleasure to sail and interact with, I have learned much about what cruise
ship guests are interested in when it comes to learning about astronomy and
astrophotography at sea. Cruise Ship Astronomy and Astrophotography at
Sea is the culmination of those seagoing experiences coupled with five
decades of studying, observing, photographing, educating, and lecturing on
the universe.
It is very gratifying that many of the guests who have attended the lec-
tures found a new interest in astronomy and/or astrophotography, while
some were motivated to pick it up again, having lost contact with their pas-
sion for the stars. Conducting night sky viewing sessions for the guests also
helped to jump-start or rekindle their interest in the stars.
On the educational side, when people discover how the stars are born, live,
and die, they never look at the night sky the same way again. Learning about
their home galaxy, the Milky Way, lends a warm familiarity to that ghostly
glow they see in the dark sky at sea, realizing that it is our home in the uni-
verse at large. Perhaps their greatest discovery comes when they realize that
vii
viii Preface
everything they touch, smell, and see is only 5% of the observable universe.
Oh, and for good measure, astronomers think there may be more than one
universe! There will be much to ponder in this book.
An all too common comment after presenting “So, You Want To Be an
Astrophotographer,” which is always the first lecture presented on each
cruise, is, “I didn’t know you could do that. I never thought of it.” Seeing
the images taken by first-time astrophotographers who take up the challenge
of photographing the sky at sea as well as their being so full of pride at hav-
ing done so – some with tears in their eyes – provided the motivation to
bring this book to you.
The primary goal of this book is to provide practical information to read-
ers on how to enjoy a cruise with an astronomy-astrophotography element
included. The book is written so it can appeal to someone who has never
cruised before or had any astronomy-astrophotography background. In
doing so, each following chapter will take you step by step on how to go
about enjoying this very satisfying and unique aspect of a cruise. Highlighted
safety tips, ship tips, and photo tips will be provided where applicable to
focus your attention on the very practical advice they provide.
A secondary goal is to take what you learn at sea and apply it to other
water and ashore venues. Much of what you learn and experience at sea
with regard to observing and photographing the sky carries over to other
locations and opportunities that present themselves.
In case you find that you want to delve deeper into astronomy and astro-
photography, which is a very distinct possibility, this book will help you get
started. You may even get to the point where perhaps you want to upgrade
your camera, lenses and associated accessories, computer software for
imaging and astronomy, and maybe even the purchase of a telescope. It is
all covered.
At the end of the book, there is a Suggested Reading and Internet Sites
section that will have for each of the forthcoming chapters suggested books
and Internet links for you to refer to that provide supplemental information
to the topics in the chapter. This will be of great value to you when reading
about the numerous astronomical and astrophotography topics.
The book has two parts to provide needed concentration on their respec-
tive subject matter. Part I, Cruise Ship Astronomy, is about the basics in
cruise selection, packing, useful astronomical knowledge in a broad context
supplemented by specific topical chapters on what to see in the sky, and
most important of all, how to get the most out of your ship observatory dur-
ing your cruise.
Chapter 1, “Cruise Considerations and What to Pack Astronomy-Wise,”
discusses what you might want to consider in selecting a cruise line and
Preface ix
available destinations. For instance, do you want a large ship or a small ship
with their accompanying passenger capacity? How many days and of course
nights at sea will the voyage encompass?
Looking at the published itinerary for a voyage, which tells you how long
the cruise is, where the ship will be going, costs involved, and in some cases
the shore excursions available, will provide crucial information. Here is a
big consideration for your cruise selection criteria: Are there any astronomy-
themed shore excursions that are part of your cruise? If there are world-
renowned astronomically themed attractions such as ancient Mayan
astronomical ruins, Stonehenge, Kennedy Space Center, and the observato-
ries atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, they may be listed as shore excursions
offered by the ship. Using the itinerary, you can also conduct online
research that might reveal observatories, historical landmarks, planetari-
ums, universities, museums, and archaeological or geological features with
an astronomical theme located at each port of call.
Now that you have your cruise picked out and have an idea of what you
want to do, what to pack? Every cruiser is always mindful of what goes into
the luggage due to airline baggage/weight limitations as well as the limited
closet/storage space aboard ship – especially if there are two of you sharing
a stateroom. There are some astronomy-astrophotography essentials to take
with you, but the good news is that they do not take up much space and are
not very expensive to purchase. A suggested list of what to pack is provided,
and each item is highlighted as to its intended use – astronomy and/or
astrophotography.
It is recommended that the list be followed for your first cruise to make
sure you have the necessary basics. As you gain more at-sea time and expe-
rience, you can modify what you pack according to your requirements. A
detailed packing list for your camera gear, which of course is dependent on
what kind of camera you will use, is covered later in the book.
Cruise selected, check. Bags packed, check. Countdown to embarkation
date aboard ship, started. Now is the time to learn a little bit about astron-
omy and the universe we live in. Much of what is in Chap. 2, “Big Bang to
Homo Erectus to Multi-Messenger Astronomy,” comes from my lectures,
public outreach for NASA, and college astronomy classes. We will go back
to where astronomers think it all started, some 13.82 billion years ago, and
work our way forward to the present day. This is a challenge, but the chapter
gives you essential knowledge of the universe and our place in it so you can
appreciate what you are going to see on your cruise. This alone will not
make you an expert, but you will at least have some useful astronomical
background when looking at and photographing the sky, which I truly
believe enhances both activities.
x Preface
To be candid, you do not have to have any astronomical knowledge to
enjoy looking at and photographing the sky. So you can skip this chapter if
you like. The chapters that follow provide astronomical information on
specific astronomical objects and provide astrophotography tips at the end
of each chapter for photographing them. You can bypass the astronomical
information in these chapters, but you will want to come back to them and
refer to the astrophotography tips they contain when you get ready to start
taking pictures. Having the astrophotography tips in Part I and under each
specific astronomical object makes it easier to refer to when you start to
take astrophotos.
It is hoped that you will get the astronomy bug and will make it a lifelong
passion that will serve you well as it has so many others, myself included.
From collective experiences onboard ship, public speaking, and the astron-
omy education of adult learners, I can tell you this – once you realize that
you can understand the universe, the more you will want to do so. This book
may be the impetus to start you on your way.
When you are finally on the ship, settled in and exploring your new
“observatory,” you will need the practical tips in Chap. 3, “Using Your Ship
Observatory at Sea,” on how to make the most of your astronomy-
astrophotography efforts onboard. Every single ship is different, even those
of the same class, like the popular R-ships used by Oceania and Azamara
and the “Dam Ships” of the various classes of Holland America Lines. The
captain may have “Full-Dress Ship” in force, which means you are going to
have a lot of light out on deck at night.
You really need to learn the ship’s deck plan: port (left), starboard (right),
forward and bow, aft, and stern. You will want to know if you can access the
bow, whether the main deck goes completely around the ship and what is the
highest accessible deck. Knowing the ship’s position, her course, and weather
is absolutely crucial to planning an astrophotography session. This chapter also
begins to blend available (hopefully!) information technology (IT) at sea with
your planning and execution efforts. You will get high-tech pointers backed up
with old-fashioned methods just in case the access to IT is not available, which
can happen at sea or you do not wish to go that high- tech route.
Where you are in the world literally determines what you can see in the
sky. In real estate, it is “Location, Location, Location.” Well, so it is in
Chap. 4, “Location, Location, Location.” Are you in the Northern or
Southern Hemisphere? Crossing the equator north to south or south to
north, or cruising along it? What time of year is it? What time zone is the
ship in? All of this has to be taken into consideration when you are cruising.
And if you are on one of the “Grand Voyages” or “World Voyages” that can
cross vast distances and involve weeks or even months at sea, you will expe-
rience significant changes in your astronomy-astrophotography e xperiences.
Preface xi
The chapter will build upon what you learned in Chap. 3 and help you in
observing or photographing the sky from around the planet.
Chapter 5, “The Sun, Sunsets, Sunrises and More,” starts off the chapter
sequence providing the basic details and knowledge of specific astronomi-
cal objects and events you can see with the unaided eye or using optical aid.
You do not need telescopes at sea unless you really want to have them, but
monoculars and binoculars are encouraged. Each of these chapters will also
have information on photographing to serve as a reference for taking astro-
photographs of the astronomical object(s) described in the chapter.
Hopefully this will be more convenient for you than having to go back into
Part II to get this information.
Naturally we begin with our star, the Sun. At the very start of this chapter,
you are provided with solar safety precautions that MUST be followed in
order to protect not only your camera but your eyes. Failure to do so will
damage your camera and your vision.
Safely done the Sun provides a very interesting and beautiful object to
observe and photograph, especially during what one captain calls “the
magic hours of sunrise and sunset.” Indeed, these times of day provide
potentially breathtaking vistas of sea and sky that are not to be missed.
The chapter also includes a bit of astronomical background on the Sun for
your reading pleasure and a bit of meteorological information as it pertains
to clouds. Who would have thought that clouds would enter into an astro-
nomical discussion, but they do here with good reason. The ship will pro-
vide you with all of the weather information you will need on your cruise,
but clouds will become a vital contributor (or inhibitor) to your photographic
composition when it comes to those magic hours of sunrise and sunset.
Rays, shadows, rainbows, sun dogs, solar halos, the (in)famous green flash,
and the interplay of light and waves – all await your camera and eyes.
A highlight of this chapter is the description of a phenomenon you have
probably seen many times before but maybe did not realize what you were
looking at – Earth’s shadow. Occurring before every sunrise and after every
sunset, this is an experience not to be missed.
Moving from day into night, Chap. 6, “The Stars,” takes center stage. At
sea, thousands of miles from land during trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific voy-
ages, the night sky literally is covered with stars due to the absence of
ashore light pollution. Even in proximity to land, unless you are near a
major metropolitan city or high population density area such as the
Mediterranean Sea, you will be away from significant light pollution.
The stars have different colors and levels of brightness, form actual shapes
in the sky that you can see – the 88 constellations – and show us what sea-
sons are occurring. All of the individual stars you will see belong to our