Unveiling the Wonders of Astro-Tourism: Eclipses, Meteor Showers, and Dark Skies

Astro-tourism, the act of traveling to natural, dark-sky locations to witness astronomical events, is gaining popularity as light pollution prevents most people from seeing the Milky Way from their homes. In addition to chasing eclipses, such as the upcoming annular solar eclipse in 2023 and total eclipse in 2024, astro-tourists can also enjoy meteor showers, which occur when Earth passes through comet dust. Tips for aspiring astro-tourists include considering the phase of the Moon, checking weather conditions, finding dark-sky locations using light pollution maps, arriving early to adapt to the dark, and using red light to preserve night vision.