Calton Hill was busy with visitors and locals gathering to watch the partial solar eclipse. Our free eclipse glasses were snapped up within just 10 minutes, while TV crews were also on hand, including an interview with our President.
Initially, it looked as though the clouds might spoil the show. But they repeatedly parted in the run-up to maximum, giving us a series of fantastic glimpses as the Moon steadily moved across the Sun.
As we approached 91% coverage, the excitement grew. Clouds continued to roll across the sky, but once again they opened up at just the right moments. As maximum eclipse approached, cheers went up from the crowd as the clouds parted, giving everyone a great view of the Sun at its most obscured.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along, to our Astronomical Society of Edinburgh volunteers, and to everyone who helped make the event possible.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has teamed up with astronomy organisation Go Stargazing for a series of cruises setting sail next year.
The new partnership will see astronomers join a selection of 26 cruises on board Bolette, Borealis and Balmoral to destinations including Norway, Iceland, the Azores and the Canary Islands throughout 2024, encouraging guests to look up at the night skies.
The stargazing experts will spend time on deck helping guests aboard navigate the dark skies with laser-guided tours of the constellations, observing fascinating celestial objects from the Moon’s craters to distant galaxies and experiencing phenomena including meteor showers and the Aurora Borealis.
James Moss, Journey Experience Coordinator at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:“We know that our guests love sitting on the open deck, snuggled in a blanket with a hot chocolate or a toddy, looking up at the beauty of the night sky.
“Now, thanks to our partnership with Go Stargazing, we will be able to offer 26 incredible itineraries where an astronomer will join our guests on-board and bring the darkness to life.
“The itineraries include the likes of the Natural Wonders and Wildlife of the Azores and Madeira in April and In Search of the Northern Lights at Christmas in December.
“To have the Go Stargazing experts on-board, sharing their vast expertise and insight, is something that we know our guests will enjoy and enable them to get even more from cruising with Fred. Olsen.”
In addition, the Go Stargazing team will host various presentations and answer questions about all things astronomical.
The new partnership ties in with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Signature Experience, the Sky at Sea, which celebrates a sunrise at sea or the beauty of the night sky from the deck of the ship.
Neill Sanders, Director of Go Stargazing, said:“The entire Go Stargazing team are delighted to be embarking on this exciting new journey with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, working in partnership to truly showcase magnificent dark skies.
“These itineraries offer an incredible opportunity to see some truly phenomenal sights including the Milky Way, the Aurora, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies as well as witness the likes of the solar eclipse in April and the Perseid Meteor Shower in August.
“Out at sea there is little to no light pollution, meaning the skies are at their darkest. It’s the perfect place for people to look up, and for us to share our passion and enthusiasm for astronomy.”
The cruises that Go Stargazing will be joining include a host of specially timed sailings to coincide with natural wonders and destination events with departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Dover, Southampton and Portsmouth.
Details of some of Go Stargazing’s sailings with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines are as follows:
Balmoral’s14-night L2402 ‘Discovering Cultural Morocco’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 18th January 2024. Prices start from £1,799 per person.
See Saturn and Jupiter and observe the changing phases of the Moon
Visit impressive mosques and explore bustling souks
Enjoy time taking in the Moorish sites of Lisbon
Itinerary: Southampton, UK – Funchal, Portugal – Agadir, Morocco – Casablanca, Morocco (overnight stay) – Tangier, Morocco – Lisbon, Portugal – Leixões, Portugal – Southampton, UK For more details: Visit Balmoral’s L2402 ‘Discovering Cultural Morocco’ cruise
Bolette’s 14-night T2408 ‘Natural Wonders and Wildlife of the Azores and Madeira’ cruise, departing from Liverpool on 19th April 2024. Prices start from £1,899 per person.
Explore volcanic sites in the Azores
Learn to take night-time photos with an experienced astrophotographer
Go in search of whales with ORCA
Itinerary: Liverpool, UK – Praia da Vitoria, Portugal – Ponta Delgada, Portugal – Cruising by Santa Maria, Portugal – Cruising by Cabo Girao, Portugal – Funchal, Portugal (overnight stay) – Lisbon, Portugal – Leixões, Portugal – Liverpool, UK For more details: Visit Bolette’s T2408 ‘Natural Wonders and Wildlife of the Azores and Madeira’ cruise
Balmoral’s 14-night L2437 ‘In Search of the Northern Lights at Christmas’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 22nd December 2024. Prices start from £2,599 per person.
Witness the Northern Lights around the time of peak solar activity
Celebrate Christmas Day on board Balmoral
Experience the maritime tradition of crossing the Arctic Circle
Itinerary: Southampton, UK – Crossing the Arctic Circle, Norway – Bodø, Norway – Cruise Tjeldsundet, Norway – Tromsø, Norway (overnight stay), Alta, Norway – Cruise Tjeldsundet Strait, Norway – Trondheim, Norway (overnight stay) – Ålesund, Norway – Southampton, UK For more details: Visit Balmoral’s L2437 ‘ In Search of the Northern Lights at Christmas’ cruise
For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com Book online, call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm), or contact your ABTA travel agent.
To celebrate this new partnership, a competition to win a cruise for two to see the Northern Lights will be announced at 12noon on 1st September. Follow Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Go Stargazing on social media for updates.
A memorable eclipse on Calton Hill!
PICTURES: Fantastic images captured by Astronomical Society of Edinburgh members.
