Mecca’s for astronomy

[RobertI]

Just reading a book which gave me pause for thought. It mentioned the Royal & Ancient being the Mecca for golfers around the world. That got me wondering if there is an equivalent for us astronomers? I was thinking perhaps Jodrell Bank, Greenwich or Herstmonceaux in the UK. And outside UK perhaps Kennedy Space Centre for those into space exploration. I have romantic notions of many observatories around the world such as Mount Palomar which produced so many images in astronomy books when I was starting out. And I had a picture of Pic du Midi on my wall as a teenager (along side Sam Fox!) and managed to get there a few years ago, but more of a personal pilgrimage I guess. 

Where else do people think are astronomy Mecca’s? 

[John]

I agree with the ones you list 🙂

I'd add the Norman Lockyer Observatory near Sidmouth, Devon to the UK ones.

A few years back we travelled to northern Arizona and I was able to visit a number of astronomy / space connected sites including Meteor Crater and the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff. There are also plenty of places around there that the Apollo astronauts trained for their lunar excursions which are fun and interesting to visit such as Sunset Crater and of course the Grand Canyon.

Add some fascinating sites formerly inhabited by indigenous people, plenty of sunshine and amazing landscapes and geological features and you get a fine place to spend a couple of weeks 🙂 

Edited June 25, 2023 by John

[Peter Drew]

If I wasn't already there, the Astronomy Centre would be a Mecca for me.     🙂

[Franklin]

2 hours ago, RobertI said:

And I had a picture of Pic du Midi on my wall as a teenager (along side Sam Fox!)

What a bizarre combination, teenagers eh!

Being a UK stargazer I have to say that Greenwich would be my "Astronomical Mecca". I know the old observatory got moved to Herstmonceux because of the London light pollution and then later some of the scopes were moved to better sites across the world. But Greenwich, for me, is where it all started and is indeed the geographical point where longitude and time itself is measured from. 

 

[John]

I've just thought of one quite local to me - the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath. Fascinating place and Uranus was discovered from the garden 🙂

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Bath Astronomers hold their meetings there.

Edited June 25, 2023 by John

[RobertI]

48 minutes ago, John said:

I agree with the ones you list 🙂

I'd add the Norman Lockyer Observatory near Sidmouth, Devon to the UK ones.

A few years back we travelled to northern Arizona and I was able to visit a number of astronomy / space connected sites including Meteor Crater and the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff. There are also plenty of places around there that the Apollo astronauts trained for their lunar excursions which are fun and interesting to visit such as Sunset Crater and of course the Grand Canyon.

Add some fascinating sites formerly inhabited by indigenous people, plenty of sunshine and amazing landscapes and geological features and you get a fine place to spend a couple of weeks 🙂 

Yes, I also did a two week California trip, including the Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. I loved it and plan to go back at some point. I also went to the Griffith Observatory in LA which is pretty iconic. 

[RobertI]

50 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

If I wasn't already there, the Astronomy Centre would be a Mecca for me.     🙂

I did think about two categories - historic Mecca’s and observing Mecca’s -  I’ve always wanted to visit the AC so perhaps that qualifies as an observing Mecca for me! Other observing Mecca’s include Tivoli Farm in Namibia and some of the famous US star parties. 

[RobertI]

14 minutes ago, Franklin said:

What a bizarre combination, teenagers eh!

Being a UK stargazer I have to say that Greenwich would be my "Astronomical Mecca". I know the old observatory got moved to Herstmonceux because of the London light pollution and then later some of the scopes were moved to better sites across the world. But Greenwich, for me, is where it all started and is indeed the geographical point where longitude and time itself is measured from. 

 

Yes, Greenwich is steeped in Astronomical and Nautical history, which seem to complement each other so well. I went to the Planetarium show there recently and was very impressed, highly recommended. 

[RobertI]

10 minutes ago, John said:

I've just thought of one quite local to me - the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath. Fascinating place and Uranus was discovered from the garden 🙂

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Yes, if it’s not a mecca, it should be! 

[Roy Challen]

9 minutes ago, John said:

I've just thought of one quite local to me - the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath. Fascinating place and Uranus was discovered from the garden 🙂

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Bath Astronomers hold their meetings there.

I visited whilst on a uni residential week in 2017. Not sure it's 'pilgrimage' destination, but worth a visit if you're in Bath.

[Rusted]

Ah William Herschel! The real inventor of the altazimuth telescope mounting. [With slow motions!] Sadly, the world had to wait another 200 years for the invention of PTFE and Formica to bring larger apertures within the grasp of the truly impoverished.

He melted and cast his own mirrors from metal. [400!] Ground and constantly re-polished them as well as observing the skies with an early form of OCD. He was also a gifted composer and played many instruments. All the while living in an early version of Las Vegas. Which must have hindered his astronomical activities. He worked within a modest, terraced house and garden in what was once a very marshy area of Bath. His work ethic and knowledge would make the vast majority of modern amateurs look like mere, part-time dilettantes.

 Whatever the New King Street Museum has turned into. You'll want to bring a huge dose of respect, sympathy, empathy and admiration for the gentleman behind its very existence. [And his sister.]

[John]

1 hour ago, Roy Challen said:

I visited whilst on a uni residential week in 2017. Not sure it's 'pilgrimage' destination, but worth a visit if you're in Bath.

One place that did have a "pilgrimage" feel to it for me was Sir Patrick Moore's house in Selsey. We visited the town in spring last year and I could not resist finding the house even though Sir Patrick's scopes have now gone and it (I believe) has moved to new ownership. So many photos in his books were taken there and some "Sky at Night" episodes were filmed there.

 

 

[City9Town0]

2 hours ago, John said:

I've just thought of one quite local to me - the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath. Fascinating place and Uranus was discovered from the garden 🙂

Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Bath Astronomers hold their meetings there.

A lovely visit; found it by chance on a trip to Bath a few years ago.

[melsmore]

La Palma for some winter sun. New moon in Jan or Feb best.

[Greymouser]

2 hours ago, melsmore said:

La Palma for some winter sun. New moon in Jan or Feb best.

Everyone seems to quote La Palma as some sort of mecca for astronomy, which is understandable in so many ways, but there is better: St Helena.

Just 15 and a half degrees south of the equator, yet cooler than UK summers in summer and warmer the rest of the year. Pretty much non existent light pollution, virtually crime free, with very friendly people. Great wildlife; fishing; geology; history and they speak English! Allegedly much like 1950s Britain. What's not to like? Only downside, is they love Country and Western music, for some reason!

Admittedly, harder to get to and more expensive than La Palma, but none the less.  You can fly all the way now too, via South Africa. I want to visit, but doubt I will get the chance, but if I did, I doubt I would want to leave. 

http://sainthelenaisland.info/visitors.htm

http://sainthelenaisland.info/astronomy.htm

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Greymouser

[maw lod qan]

Mecca! 

I'd think not so much what you see now, but what you feel.

Me, it would have to be Italy and Galileo's stomping ground!

If I could not  see a single star, I would still stand there wondering how it had to feel to know what you saw, and what you knew must be, only to be prosecuted so terribly!

[melsmore]

1 hour ago, Greymouser said:

Everyone seems to quote La Palma as some sort of mecca for astronomy, which is understandable in so many ways, but there is better: St Helena.

Just 15 and a half degrees south of the equator, yet cooler than UK summers in summer and warmer the rest of the year. Pretty much non existent light pollution, virtually crime free, with very friendly people. Great wildlife; fishing; geology; history and they speak English! Allegedly much like 1950s Britain. What's not to like? Only downside, is they love Country and Western music, for some reason!

Admittedly, harder to get to and more expensive than La Palma, but none the less.  You can fly all the way now too, via South Africa. I want to visit, but doubt I will get the chance, but if I did, I doubt I would want to leave. 

http://sainthelenaisland.info/visitors.htm

http://sainthelenaisland.info/astronomy.htm

 

Good points. And I've yet to see the SCP. 

[Leo S]

There are plenty of places left to go for pristine dark sky, but if the distance didn't matter I think I head for the Atacama Desert in Chile. Pristine skies at night, and also lots of flat featureless terrain, making it a meteorite hunter's paradise in the day.

[saac]

What about Woolsthrope Manor, I'd love to visit it. There is more than enough association with astronomy I think to justify it for consideration.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/woolsthorpe-manor

Jim 

[John]

1 minute ago, saac said:

What about Woolsthrope Manor, I'd love to visit it. There is more than enough association with astronomy I think to justify it for consideration.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/woolsthorpe-manor

Jim 

We visited Woolsthorpe Manor about 5 years ago. Very interesting place. Great to stand in the actual room where Newton first experimented with light and prisms and to see the famous apple tree 🙂

 

 

[John]

15 minutes ago, Leo S said:

There are plenty of places left to go for pristine dark sky, but if the distance didn't matter I think I head for the Atacama Desert in Chile. Pristine skies at night, and also lots of flat featureless terrain, making it a meteorite hunter's paradise in the day.

I'd love to go but when I showed my other half a photo of meteorite hunting in the Atacama, she was not too keen 😔

I do have a small slice of the Vacua Muerta meteorite so I guess that will have to do 🙄

 

[Leo S]

19 minutes ago, John said:

I'd love to go but when I showed my other half a photo of meteorite hunting in the Atacama, she was not too keen 😔

I do have a small slice of the Vacua Muerta meteorite so I guess that will have to do 🙄

 

Only got a little piece of Sikhote Alin, so would like to expand my own collection. Would love to get my hands on a nice pallasite slice! Antarctica also looks attractive since they released the Standing Zones Map.

Realistically though, traveling is out of the question for me too, for a while at least, but we can still dream