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Stargazing in St. John
Stargazing in St. John
Hi everyone! I'm new here and found you while planning my 2nd trip to St. John which starts in just FOUR days! So excited. Anyway, I am an amateur stargazer and wondered if there are any activities or events on St. John for this. I contacted a lady who used to do this, but she has sadly moved to Vermont. She recommended Cinnamon Bay, but I couldn't find anything from them on stargazing.
We will be there during a new moon (exciting!) and I wondered if I should bring regular binoculars, astronomy binoculars, or a travel telescope. I will be bringing my sky map for that latitude.
We are staying in Town at Ylang Ylang. I'm hoping viewing will be good there but am also willing to go elsewhere for some special viewing.
Thank you so much!
Tiffany
We will be there during a new moon (exciting!) and I wondered if I should bring regular binoculars, astronomy binoculars, or a travel telescope. I will be bringing my sky map for that latitude.
We are staying in Town at Ylang Ylang. I'm hoping viewing will be good there but am also willing to go elsewhere for some special viewing.
Thank you so much!
Tiffany
Re: Stargazing in St. John
The National Park Service used to have a really good stargazing program they put on several times a year. We went in 2011 and really enjoyed, bring your bug spray. I just checked there website and it appears they do not offer it any longer. Sad indeed.
When we travel to the Virgin Islands, I bring regular binoculars (because they can be used for other purposes too) and a star map for the area.
Have fun and enjoy!
*When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars!
When we travel to the Virgin Islands, I bring regular binoculars (because they can be used for other purposes too) and a star map for the area.
Have fun and enjoy!
*When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars!
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Perfect, thank you so much. I am sad about the programs. Maybe I should get serious about this stargazing and learn enough so that when I can spend more time there, I can offer services. 
Tiff
Tiff
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Do you have the starwalk app? I find it very useful for stargazing while on St. John. I am an extremely amateur stargazer and love that I can ID what I am looking at with this app.
Many villas have binoculars that you can use, so you might want to inquire with whoever you are renting from before packing yours.
Many villas have binoculars that you can use, so you might want to inquire with whoever you are renting from before packing yours.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Re: Stargazing in St. John
I called the park and Deanna is the ranger that still runs the stargazing program in season (October timeframe). She will be in the office tomorrow, so I can call her then to try and get some tips at least. I'm sure she will have some great ideas!
Re: Stargazing in St. John
I do have the app, yes! I also have maps just because I'm trying to learn to use those as well. I will ask about binoculars at the villa, great idea! Thank you so much.
Tiff
Tiff
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Tiff: Great timing to be there during the dark of the moon; that is really key (unless you want to observe the moon, of course)! Venus and Jupiter are still up in the west at sunset; last week, I alerted guests at our villas to their remarkable conjunction, with a crescent moon thrown in a few days earlier. St. John has marvelously dark skies, with lots of stars, although in summer the Sahara Dust can affect the view. One thing to look for that is much more challenging up North is the view that you get of the galactic center, in Sagittarius, and adjacent Scorpius. As a decent star map will show you, there are lots of clusters and nebulae in that part of the sky, which will be due south any time after 9 PM. Binoculars are ideal for wide-field sweeping of the Milky Way center, and probably the best safe public place to go for a southern view near Cruz Bay would be the beach at the Westin. Off on the west side of the beach, it should be reasonably dark. Enjoy!
PS: Here is a link to a good book on binocular astronomy: http://www.willbell.com/handbook/hand2.htm
and here are some links to objects in Sagittarius and Scorpius:
http://www.shoalhavenastronomers.asn.au ... gittarius/
https://books.google.com/books?id=foTRJ ... us&f=false
All the best,
Kevin
PS: Here is a link to a good book on binocular astronomy: http://www.willbell.com/handbook/hand2.htm
and here are some links to objects in Sagittarius and Scorpius:
http://www.shoalhavenastronomers.asn.au ... gittarius/
https://books.google.com/books?id=foTRJ ... us&f=false
All the best,
Kevin
Re: Stargazing in St. John
If he doesn't chime in I recommend sending a pm to "Coconuts". You could also search his posts because he has touched on this in some of his posts.
He is an avid stargazer and can probably provide some good tips. I do remember that he posted some pictures from one of the north shore beaches but i can't remember which ones.
He is an avid stargazer and can probably provide some good tips. I do remember that he posted some pictures from one of the north shore beaches but i can't remember which ones.
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping to receive. It is very difficult to find such specifics on the internet. I will definitely be using all of these tips and guides. I'm so excited. I am hoping to see the milky way band since I haven't been able to since I was a kid really. Everything beyond that is so spectacular, because I did not have the knowledge back when I last viewed it to know the majesty of what I was observing. I'd love to see nebulae and the galactic center! I will also search for Coconuts on here and am bringing my wide view Pentax binoculars and tripod. This is going to be so incredible. I'm so sad the night skies, even in Texas, are no longer close to what I could see as a child.
Tiff
Tiff
Re: Stargazing in St. John
I see Coconuts already posted here. Thank you all for such useful information. It makes a huge difference in the quality of our stargazing.
Tiff
Tiff
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Tiff: You are very welcome. I spotted this link that I had posted before, which is a much better organized piece than the snippets that I posted earlier.
http://carolrpt.com/astroguidev9complete.pdf
You can view some of my first attempts at astrophotography on St. John here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... 46#p294579
Back when we used to rent villas, I would burden the whole family with large chunks of telescope gear that we lugged down and back. Nowadays, we keep nice telescopes at each villa, but it strikes me that would almost certainly be some interest in having something with more light gathering power than binoculars, yet very portable and really easy to use, that any visitor could rent, perhaps through Connections. An Edmund Astroscan Plus (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/wp-conte ... 201007.pdf) might be just about right. I'll see what I can arrange...
All the best,
Kevin
http://carolrpt.com/astroguidev9complete.pdf
You can view some of my first attempts at astrophotography on St. John here:
http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/v ... 46#p294579
Back when we used to rent villas, I would burden the whole family with large chunks of telescope gear that we lugged down and back. Nowadays, we keep nice telescopes at each villa, but it strikes me that would almost certainly be some interest in having something with more light gathering power than binoculars, yet very portable and really easy to use, that any visitor could rent, perhaps through Connections. An Edmund Astroscan Plus (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/wp-conte ... 201007.pdf) might be just about right. I'll see what I can arrange...
All the best,
Kevin
Re: Stargazing in St. John
Hi , I just started reading " The End of Night " by Paul Bogard , it is about light pollution and I highly recommend it for everyone . I am retired and I remember the dark nights we used to have . I really look forward to our trips to the USVI's just to see the dark sky & stars , sadly it is very hard to see the stars in our area ( Iowa on the Mississippi River )
When we were there in March with our G'kids , who are in their teens , we were coming back to STT after dinner on STJ and I told them to look up at the stars and the dark night and to remember that because it won't be around much longer . It made me so sad
We no longer have our yard light on , we don't need it as
many of our neighbors have so many lights on that it lights up our yard . I hate to see the Islands so lit up . We have disrupted the natural rhythm of day and night and it is affecting everything around us , I wonder if that could have something to do with the decline in Bee's ?
just a thought
When we were there in March with our G'kids , who are in their teens , we were coming back to STT after dinner on STJ and I told them to look up at the stars and the dark night and to remember that because it won't be around much longer . It made me so sad
We no longer have our yard light on , we don't need it as
many of our neighbors have so many lights on that it lights up our yard . I hate to see the Islands so lit up . We have disrupted the natural rhythm of day and night and it is affecting everything around us , I wonder if that could have something to do with the decline in Bee's ?
just a thought