Few times in my life have I thought, “OK, I’m starting off on vacation, but first I’ll put my winter coat on.” But that was the case this morning as our group of 15 Astronomy magazine readers, accompanied by me and escorted by Melita Thorpe of MWT Associates, commenced our journey to see aurorae from Norway.
Our cruise ship for chasing aurorae, the MS Midnatsol, at harbor in Bergen, Norway. David J. Eicher photo
On November 3, I recovered after flying from Milwaukee to Chicago to Newark to Copenhagen and finally to Bergen, Norway. Yesterday, we boarded MS
Midnatsol, our cruise ship. The 674-berth ship, which carries mail and cargo and never strays more than 2 hours from shoreline, is as elegantly fitted as a vastly larger Caribbean cruise ship
Before boarding, however, our group enjoyed the sights and sounds of Bergen, a very Norwegian city in the southern part of the country rich in fish markets, ancient churches, a history spanning more than a millennium, and new and fancy shops. Museums, art galleries, churches, concert halls, and the home of composer Edvard Grieg — among other sites — also fill this picturesque city. The former center of the Kingdom of Norway, this city of 240,000 is now the “gateway to the fjords.” Seven mountains surround the city, and the North Atlantic stretches to the west. The city’s famous Bryggen district was an ancient center of trade and is now on UNESCO’s World Heritage list of significant sites.
Bergen, Norway's historic district buildings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. David J. Eicher photo
I learned this morning that in Bergen, one carries an umbrella and pulls it out or puts it back about every 5 or 10 minutes. It rains, then stops, then drizzles, then downpours, then stops. And then comes sunshine. And then the whole process repeats itself.
By midday, our group boarded the ship and turned its gaze toward a fancy dinner, talk about amateur astronomy, and hopes for aurorae viewing. Overnight, we cruised for Florø, Måløy, cross the Stadhavet — an open stretch of sea — Alesund, Molde, and finally Kristiansund. Surviving all that, today our passengers will be subjected to my first lecture, “Astronomy’s new frontier,” summarizing the past 10 to 15 years’ worth of major advances on answering the field’s big science questions.
And be sure to check out the photos I post during the trip on our Trips and Tours page.
Related blog:
On the road: Norwegian aurorae