Dear Friends:
Join us to see the Total Lunar Eclipse in
Hawaii, November 8th, and to explore the
natural wonders of Hawaii—from lava flows to
massive tree ferns. We will also show you some of
the astronomical observatories which generate
an enormous amount of information about our
solar system, galaxies, black holes, and beyond!
In Hawaii, earth’s forces create new land right
before our eyes, as lava streams forth from
volcanoes rising 33,000 feet from the ocean floor.
The Pacific is home to a profusion of life—from
whales to sea turtles, colorful birds and endemic
flowers—many of which we can see walking trails.
More than a thousand years ago, indigenous
people followed the stars across the Pacific from
Tahiti to settle Hawaii, and brought Polynesian
culture with them. In recent centuries, European
explorers followed the same stars across the
Pacific and discovered Tahiti, Hawaii, and
New Zealand!
Our journey will begin in Kailua-Kona—on the dry side of the Big
Island of Hawaii—where old black
ribbons of lava flow to the sea. In the
evening, we will enjoy the Total
Lunar Eclipse.
We will cross the island between
the two largest volcanoes on Hawaii,
Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. En
route, we will visit the W.M. Keck
Observatory head quarters near the famous Parker
Ranch to learn about their discoveries.
We will drive to the summit of Mauna Kea, at
13,796 feet, and see sunset from the mountain top
near some of the world’s largest observatories.
We will return to Onizuka Visitor Center to look
through telescopes at the wonders of the universe
as seen from 19ºN latitude.
At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we will see
ancient lava formations which built the island
from hot molten lava as it flows to the sea.
At the world class ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center
of Hawaii we will explore the Hawaiian cultural
and navigational understanding of the stars
with real-time information obtained from the
13 telescopes on the Big Island.
Throughout our journey, we will enjoy leadership
by astronomer Dr Tyler Nordgren with
guest experts.
We invite travelers with an appetite for adventure
and discovery to explore the
day and night wonder land of our
50th state and enjoy the Total
Lunar Eclipse!
Sincerely,
Margaret M. Betchart
President,
Betchart Expeditions Inc.
$5,495 per person twin share + air
Brochure (PDF)
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