Dave Eicher with the Gemini North Telescope on Mauna Kea in 2007. Photo credit: David J. Eicher
I leave on an adventure with
Astronomy readers this Saturday, bound for
Hawaii and the transit of Venus. Joining me will be Alex Filippenko of the University of California, Berkeley, and Melita Thorpe of MWT Associates for a great week of adventure and viewing of the
last transit of Venus any of us will see in our lives. I’ll be reporting by blogs from the road and will keep you abreast of the activities we have planned, which include viewing the transit itself, talks by me and by Alex, and adventuring in the Hawaiian wilderness and on its beaches.
The trip will accommodate two separate groups of readers, one traveling June 2–7 and the other June 4–9. Because of this, Alex and I will head up to the summit of Mauna Kea to lead visits through the Keck Telescopes twice during the week. We’ll view the transit itself from a beach location on the Big Island, and we’ll probably enjoy some volcano walking, following the active Kilauea lava flows. You may see a star cameo appearance by our columnist and good friend Steve O’Meara, who lives on the Big Island.
I’ll provide a report on the day of travel and preparations when my feet are on the ground in Hawaii. Until then, keep looking up!