Teide Observatory // David J. Eicher
Following the incredible Sonic Universe Concert with Rick Wakeman and Brian May on Friday night, the Starmus Festival in Tenerife, Canary Islands, entered its last hours over the weekend. On Saturday, September 27, the group traveled to the Auditorio de Tenerife for a special program honoring Alexei Leonov and Neil Armstrong. This Space Legends program featured a presentation by Leonov, the first human to walk in space, on the planned Soviet lunar program that never got off the ground, with thoughts on whether Russian cosmonauts will ever shoot for the Moon. Amazingly, he employed a blackboard and wrote out many interesting diagrams during his incredible talk. Stephen Hawking also delivered an incredible presentation on black holes. We also had music from a variety of stellar acts — Rick Wakeman, the amazing composer and performer Alexandros Hahalis, and the beautiful and talented soprano Katerina Mina. What an incredible show!
The gathering then wound down as hundreds of people headed out from the Abama Resort, goodbyes were exchanged, books hastily signed, promises to see each other again soon made, and lots of exchanges of emails. What a frenzy.
My wife, Lynda, was among the many who then headed off home, while I rented a car and drove the incredible journey up Mt. Teide, to the Teide Observatory, where for the next few days a small group of just 15 began to convene for an Astrophoto School under some of the greatest skies on Earth. Well-known English astroimager Damian Peach kicked off the festivities with a talk about imaging the giant planet Jupiter. I followed with a talk titled “Astrophotos the World Wants to See: An Editor’s Perspective.” Then another imaging friend and colleague, Rogelio Bernal Andreo, gave a talk on producing winning nightscapes — those breathtaking, wide angle shots of celestial phenomena. We then broke away for some much needed sleep and for day 2 of the school, which began today.
For all images from this trip, visit the
Online Reader Gallery.
For related blogs, see:
Starmus begins with Wilson, Eicher, Dawkins, and Harvati Starmus Day 2: Hawking, May, 51 Degrees North film Starmus Day 3: Book signing, Duke, Kroto, Cunningham, Ellis Starmus Day 4: 108-minute round table at the world's largest telescope Starmus Day 5: Sonic Universe Concert — Rick Wakeman and Brian May