Astronomy Tours

Not at all. These tours suit everyone from complete beginners to seasoned observers with their own equipment at home. Sessions are pitched to the group, and questions are always welcome. An interest in looking up is the only requirement. 

Your tour will be led by a qualified astronomer, most often by Pete Lawrence, presenter and author, best known from the BBC's The Sky at Night. Having someone who can find an object, explain what you're looking at and tell you why it matters is what separates a night under the stars from a night of pointing at them.

Nothing about the sky can be promised. The aurora and a total eclipse are both natural phenomena, and cloud can intervene even at the finest observing sites. What can be arranged is timing, location and expertise, which is why these tours go to the places and seasons that give you the best possible chance. 

No. Professional telescopes and specialist equipment are provided for the observing and photography sessions. If you'd like to bring your own camera you're very welcome to, and the astrophotography guidance covers capturing and processing images as well as taking them.

Evening sessions run for a couple of hours at a time, using specialist telescopes to pick out planets, constellations and deep-sky objects. In Tenerife, there are daytime sessions too: solar viewing through professional telescopes reveals the Sun's surface in detail, including sunspots and prominences. 

Cold enough to plan for. Observing means standing still outdoors after dark, and at altitude in Teide National Park temperatures drop well below what the coast would suggest. Warm layers, a windproof jacket and sturdy footwear with good grip are essential, and gloves and a hat are worth packing.

Very much so, and many guests travel solo. Shared interest naturally leads to easy conversation, and the observing sessions are sociable by nature, with everyone out together under the same sky.