Well, I saw it! It was cloudy at low altitudes, so I was glad I’d joined the bus going up to Pico de La Cruz with a group of about 16 people from Astrofest. Since buses get a lot more expensive after midnight, the organiser was persuaded to have the bus drop us off shortly after 11 pm, so it would be “home” by midnight, even though it meant a…
After tour guiding yesterday I went up to the Roque hoping for a chat with the ravens. They turned up all right, but they didn’t seem as interested as usual in the biscuits on offer. It turned out that they were really thirsty. I was rather surprised, because birds have such good kidneys that they need very little water. In any case, there’s a water tap with a little pool…
On Wednesday, after watching la subida de la virgen, I had a fun job, helping to film an advert for Jaguar inside the GTC. They’re going to digitally add Stephen Hawking into the ad later. My part was much less glamourous than it sounds. All I did was remind people of the safety rules and liase between the film crew and the telescope staff. Well, I also answered a bunch…
Yesterday I showed a group around the WHT, and I noticed that the Swedish Solar Telescope is being repainted. (Follow the link for more about the telescope.)
Yes, it’s my book. “A Breathtaking Window on the Universe: A guide to the observatory at the Roque de los Muchachos SECOND EDITION” By Sheila M. Crosby (Non-Fiction Paperback) 164 pages (16 more than the first edition) Welcome to the Roque de Los Muchachos, where 15 telescopes from 19 nations use the best night sky in Europe to explore the cosmos. Find out what it’s like to work in this strange…
From 25th September 2015 to October 9th, the island of La Palma in the Canaries will host Astrofest, a festival of astronomy, with activities for all ages and knowledge levels. There will be an international conference for astrotourism professionals, a spectacular total eclipse of the moon, an international conference for nightscape photographers, and a night photography masterclass. You can find more details and register for all these events at…