Astrotourism Academy to host a course in Martinborough

Astrotourism has been flourishing at Lake Tekapo for 25 years. Here a group of stargazers is viewing the night sky with the Milky Way at Mt John Observatory, Tekapo. Photo: Fraser Gunn.

The Aotearoa Astrotourism Academy will host its next course in Martinborough March 25-27, 2022.

The Academy, AAA, was launched last year by Professor John Hearnshaw, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy at the University of Canterbury, with Nalayini Davies from the Auckland Astronomical Society to satisfy an unmet need in the astronomical community.

The primary goal of AAA is to offer educational courses for current or aspiring astro-tourism night-sky guides, or for anyone interested in navigating the dark night sky and learning more about astronomy.

AAA has assembled a small team of dedicated and expert instructors, and the courses offered cover all aspects of night-sky guiding, star-gazing, how to use a small telescope, astrophotography and the best objects to view in the night sky. AAA hopes to impart some of the basic skills and knowledge considered essential for those working in the fast growing astro-tourism industry. A talk on Matariki and Maori astronomy is also included.

This intensive course comprises lectures, practical sessions (weather permitting for evening observing), workshops and plenty of interactions between instructors and participants. The venue for the Martinborough course will be the Wellington Room at the Martinborough Hotel.

The Martinborough AAA school will include:

• an immersive programme of lectures, talks, workshops and night-time observing (weather permitting),
• a visit to the Star Field Observatory on the Friday afternoon (with thanks to Martinborough astronomer John Whitby)
• an evening reception on Friday 25 March
• morning and afternoon teas and lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.

AAA has chosen the Wairarapa for their third AAA course in recognition of the strong local support for protecting dark skies from the Wairarapa Dark Sky Association and also to support the growing astrotourism industry in this region of Aotearoa.

Full details are on the AAA website at https://aaanz.org and on-line registrations are now open. Places at the course are limited to 30.