TheSkySearchers

A family member was speaking wistfully of his tour of Chile many years ago, telling me all about the stunning sky he saw, with everything so different.

Got me craving a trip to Chile... I know, not a good time, but may be soon... I have time to plan it properly.

I'm just starting to inquire about ways to do a trip like that. Any suggestions or experiences that members would like to share would be appreciated!
I live near Calgary, Canada, to give you an idea of how far I'd be traveling. To give you an idea of how much of a northerner I am, I have never seen the whole tail of Scorpio, and I've been a keen amateur astronomer all my life.

Perhaps the obvious place to start is the Atacama desert. Latitude 23 degrees south. Have to pick the right time of the year to see the LMC/SMC and 47 tucanae. There are towns in the area that see their share of astronomy lover tourists. Day trips to see the big scopes, bike through the mountains, and then spend the nights stretched out on a blanket with my binoculars. That's my Plan A.

Should I consider traveling farther south? Santiago will offer many things to do, but light pollution to the night sky. Going to the extreme south, either Punta Arenas, Chile, or Ushuaia, Argentina (Latitude 54 south) would offer even more southern constellations, but poor odds of a clear night sky. So neither of these seem like good ideas (even if I do have to stop in Santiago before another local leg in Chile.

I hope the members who have traveled to the southern hemisphere to experience a "new" sky will have some interesting suggestions to consider.

That sounds like it could be a great trip Steven.

Unfortunately I can't give you any advice about getting there, but I am sure someone will come in with some suggestions for you.

I have been to Chile once, 25 years ago, but only for work, not sky observing, did have my travel binos, spotted Crux, Coal Sack, LMC, SMC from the beach in Valparaiso. So, just a few hints on getting around. Helps to speak a little Spanish, just enough to order a meal, get a taxi, get directions, buy a book.

People friendly, food good, but don't go out for dinner before 9PM, every place is still closed, but an empanada and a beer at 4PM will tied you over to dinner. Don't expect to get much done in the afternoon, everything is closed.

You will probably have to fly-in to Santiago and transfer to domestic air to get up to the Atacama region.

No need to go much further south, the south polar sky is just a 'black hole', most of the good stuff is circumpolar at about 60S declination.

My recommendation, Jan, Feb or March,
Steve

I looked into this for the full solar eclipse in Chile, was it 2019? I found that the Atacama desert is not a place where you want to camp and sleep because it is so dry and unforgiving. Besides, there did not seem to be many campgrounds there if any. Possibly for the same reason! And if there were campgrounds or other forms of lodging, everything was taken at the time for the eclipse, of course. It will be better now.

The place where I would look is San Pedro de Atacama. That seems to be the local tourist hub. There are tours to interesting areas and there are also astronomy resorts where you can rent a room and use a telescope. From what I remember, the big telescopes are further to the West, a good drive. I ended up bailing out of my Chile eclipse adventure, I should have started looking sooner.

Thank you for the suggestions and encouragement.

Many of your ideas are consistent to my own. I had noticed San Pedro on the map, and the astro-tourist spots there.

Knowing that I may get only one chance in a lifetime to do this, it is easy to pack too much stuff into one trip! Now my wife is talking about seeing Mahchupicu...

Also keep in mind that the best time to view the MW in the Southern hemisphere is from Feb-Oct, when it is winter there. I don't know how cold it would get in San Pedro.
https://capturetheatlas.com/best-time-t ... milky-way/

Yes, I am still torn about the time for my visit.
SHemi. winter seems to offer the best Milky way, the Clouds, and of course, the longest nights.
SHemi. summer seems to have a more brilliant sweep of stars, but nights are shorter.

Partly depends on my access to a telescope or not. Camera and binos are a given, but is anyone there set up to offer visitors more? I won't pack and haul my own stuff all that way.

Try this: https://www.spaceobs.com/en . Lodging and telescope rentals. Telescope rentals for AP are limited to small setups, or a pier with counterweights if you bring your own mount head. Nice visual telescopes, it seems. I did not convert the prices so I don't know how expensive it is.

This is a DREAM TRIP !

I have dreamed of this many times...
Bonne Chance !

SparWeb wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:46 pm Thank you for the suggestions and encouragement.

Many of your ideas are consistent to my own. I had noticed San Pedro on the map, and the astro-tourist spots there.

Knowing that I may get only one chance in a lifetime to do this, it is easy to pack too much stuff into one trip! Now my wife is talking about seeing Mahchupicu...

There is a lot to see in Chile itself rather than go to Peru. I have been to Southern Chile, and it was great !. 4 day boat ride to the southern Torres Del Paine National park (hiking/camping place) and from there to Punta Arenas to visit penguin colonies on the Straits of Magellan. Was before my Astro Days, so did not go to Atacama, and this was during the SHemi summer.
I also have the https://www.spaceobs.com/en on my list of things to do.

Peru, (Cuzco MachuPichu, Nazca lines, Amazonian Rain Forest) is a separate trip, in case you want to hike the Inca Trail. I hear Machu Pichu has gotten a lot crowded lately since I went there more than 20 years ago.

ARock wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:07 pm ... Machu Pichu has gotten a lot crowded lately ....

That would not surprise me.

Chile is more than enough to keep me busy for a week or more. I have just discovered (looking at Google Maps) that San Pedro in the Atacama also has PRE-Incan ruins of a fortified village, extensive hiking and biking trails (can rent a bike), a meteorite museum... plus the day trips to the big scopes that I was thinking about before.
My Plan A is looking better all the time!

I have absolutely no idea when this can happen. The instigator of this trip idea, my uncle, has suddenly had his travel plans suppressed by my aunt, his spouse, who is rightfully concerned about his age and the prospect of getting stuck or isolated in Chile for an uncomfortably long time. She might have a point. But I'm not getting any younger, and my perspective is that is just more reason to do the adventures now, not later.

Hello Steven,

I am not sure, if I can help you, because my Chile experience bases only on two astrotrips of the CEDIC team in Feb/March 2014 and Oct 2015 to Hacienda Los Andes.
You can find the reports here:
http://www.astrophoton.com/chile2014.htm
http://www.astrophoton.com/chile2015.htm
http://www.cedic.at/chile2014/index.php
http://www.cedic.at/chile2015/index.php

My clear reccomendation are the months Jan to Mar.

Our focus was mainly astrophotography. Therefore, we did not travel much around and spent most of our time at Hacienda Los Andes.
Hacienda Los Andes is a wonderful place, but I am not familiar with the current situation at Hacienda Los Andes after the sudden death of our friend Daniel Verschatse (the former owner of Hacienda).

Hope, this helps.

best,
Bernhard

Thank you Bernhard,
Those travel journals are very helpful to show me another place worth considering.
Absolutely beautiful results - you and your colleagues know what they're doing.

I'll spend some time making sure the lodgings you enjoyed are still in business.
Not only the death of the owner but recent events throw all kinds of things into doubt.

I went to Chile to work on a project in 1988 and 1989 and brought back an interesting souvenir: my Mrs!

At the time, I wasn't interested in astronomy but rekindled my interest after a business trip to New Zealand in 1995. I have been back a few times and been up the foothills of the Andes to get a clearer view. If you can get a coach or hire a car, it is best to get up as high as you can. I have always visited in the Chilean summer, as it has been easier to get extended time off work. Being nearer the equator, the summer nights are not as short as they are in the UK or Canada. In later years, poverty and my parents no longer being able to care for our dogs. has stopped me from going. Unfortunately, although I have taken telescopes and binoculars, I have never been since getting my first DSLR in 2013. I have seen the LMC and SMC from the coast (which is also a better place to get good views near Santiago). I haven't seen Omega Centauri nor the galactic centre but have seen them from Brazil and have also had business trips to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. From New Zealand, I took photos of Alpha Centauri through an 80mm refractor.

I have seen the scorpion's tail from the Canary Islands and Florida, amongst places south of the equator.

Hoping to get back to the in-law's sometime soon.