Stargazing from the Dawn?

[JPO]

I am an astronomer booked for the 2008 San Francisco to Sydney cruise of the Dawn Princess. Has anyone experience with trying to see the night-time sky from the decks of the Dawn? Is there an area somewhat protected from lights?

[ArizonaRalphie]

I am an astronomer booked for the 2008 San Francisco to Sydney cruise of the Dawn Princess. Has anyone experience with trying to see the night-time sky from the decks of the Dawn? Is there an area somewhat protected from lights?

Lemme' take a wild stab at this one. The Pacific Ocean?

[JPO]

Lemme' take a wild stab at this one. The Pacific Ocean?

Very funny ... but not what I wanted to know. Most of the deck area of a cruise ship is well lit at night. I know from experience that it can be hard (and sometimes impossible) to find an accessible area that is well enough isolated from lights to be able to see the stars well. I have sometimes been able to make special arrangements with the captain but this is frequently not possible. Does someone know of an area on deck on the Dawn where lights are not much of a problem?

[TJM001]

The Dawn has an area on the Lido deck just forward of the Horizon Court (actually you access this area from the Sun deck) which might provide you with the best opportunity. I was there in daylight but there did not seem to be too many lights in that area. It would be worth a try.

[cherylandtk]

Ralphie you crack me up! But I think John was asking more from the perspective of shielding the white light the ship produces...and from a fellow astronomer's perspective, the answer is not really. Certainly not worth it to bring a scope; too much motion of the ship to make that worthwhile regardless of the light issue, but you might enjoy bringing a good pair of viewing binos. There are a few upper deck areas that are somewhat 'dark' in the right location and usually you can manage to place yourself so that you don't have direct glare. But most public areas at night are as well-lit as a Walmart parking lot.

 

OTOH, if your normal viewing opportunities are near big city light pollution, you WILL enjoy seeing more stars than you thought possible.

[sept10dsm]

We sailed the Dawn to Alaska and I thought I would be able to see so many stars. It didn't happen for me. The top deck was much too bright and we did have cloudy nights. You may have more luck!!

[KathyJ]

When we were on the Tahitian Princess in 2003, a crew member that was interested in astronomy had a stargazing session in which he was able to have the deck lights turned off for a short while to enable everyone to see the stars. Otherwise there are way too many lights to see any stars.

[crusdiva]

I am an astronomer booked for the 2008 San Francisco to Sydney cruise of the Dawn Princess. Has anyone experience with trying to see the night-time sky from the decks of the Dawn? Is there an area somewhat protected from lights?

JPO,

Yes, go all the way forward on Baja. You will see a set of unmarked teak doors (one starboard, one port), go through that door and there will be a very heavy door (be careful opening it as it can be quite windy) leading to one of the best kept secrets of the Dawn. There you will find a fabulous deck just under the bridge in total darkness perfect for stargazing.

But be quiet about it, it's our secret.;)

[JPO]

Thanks all ... crusdiva may have the answer for me. I hope to give a lecture on Exploring the Southern Skies and wanted to have a place where folks could look for themselves. I am fortunate enough to had many nights on an isolated mountain on South Island, NZ so I know how the skies can appear with no city lights to interfere. It sea will not be so good because of the low elevation but the view can still be amazing.