Tag: starry night

Attention Star gazers: Meteor showers and where to catch them!

Posted in Maharashtra, Weekend getawaysTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment
The Orionid Meteor shower has begun April 25th onward and is going to be visible for a whole month. This time Earth is about to pass through countless debris of Halley’s comet, thus giving us a month long sky full of beautiful sights. This will next be visible in 2061! That’s a really long wait for the next one.
The city-lights and pollution make it impossible to enjoy such a gorgeous spectacle within the city. But fortunately, travel just a couple of hours outside and witness this dance of the million sparkles. We bring you 4 best spots around Mumbai for stargazing where you and your children can enjoy million pinpricks of light that can be seen with the naked eye!

#01. Uttan

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This is the most underrated & the closest destination to the city where one can spot the starry sky! Set amid the quiet locales and sparsely populated area, is this bungalow that allows you to effortlessly hike to the highest point of Mumbai. Be it any season that you plan to visit here, considering the height it is situated at, we assure you that you’d be the first one to witness the meteor showers or the full moon night! The place will want you to capture every moment that you see through the sit out at the terrace, but the beautiful sight lasts only few seconds and you would not want to miss that in search of your camera!
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#02. Karjat

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We are all aware about the clear air and open sky around Karjat thus making this destination an ideal place for sky gazers. This nature’s bounty filled with hills, river and greenery lies on the outskirts of Mumbai & is a favorite destination for city dwellers.

Imagine strolling in the midst of 120 acres of thick wooded mango orchards, in the middle of the night & beautiful sights of meteor shower accompany  you! Living in a cottage located right next to a river& a starry sky, what more would one want for a peaceful night. This little villa is the perfect haven for catching up on some peace, solitude, fresh air and peace of mind.

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Want to watch meteor shower from here? Click to book!

Or

Living in a quaint cottage nestled on a 4 acre, stream adjacent farm in Karjat. The front verandah facing the gorgeous garden, the terrace which overlook the scenic beauty of the farm and Karjat ghats are the perfect spots to put your feet up, relax and soak in everything nature has to offer. Star gazing, bird watching or just napping on the garden swing, the city life will be a distant memory.

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Want to watch meteor shower from here? Click to book!

#03. Dapoli

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Dapoli, a small town in Ratnagiri, is everything a holiday destination should be. And if you’re staying at the Nirvana, a spectacular view of Arabian Sea, Palm and Coconut trees all around await you. Built on a sloppy hillock, it is over a 2 acre property. You can see the fascinating, Harnai fishing port on left, sea fort known as Suvarnadurg on extreme right side along with Anjarle sandy beach and the front view of the villa gives you a complete view of the endless sea. One can spend their time on the patio and enjoy uninterrupted sea breeze at all hours of the day whilst skygazing!

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Want to watch meteor shower from here? Click to book!

So which one’s your favorite pick?

Make a wish: Meteor Shower tonight!

Posted in Ninja DiariesTagged , , , , Leave a comment

The heavily romanticised “tootta tara” has made many-a-Bollywood fans look out in the night skies to witness this celestial phenomenon. However, even though meteors or ‘shooting stars’, as they are commonly known, may occur all year along, there are definite time periods when they peak and are most visible. And it so happens that tonight is one such night!

When the universe conspires to keep you awestruck!
When the universe conspires to keep you awestruck!

The Eta Aquarids meteor showers peak at dawn on 5th, 6th, and 7th May. If you fear you may have missed the first day, do not worry, tonight is the night with the greatest number of meteors! It is said that this shower can produce about 40- 50 meteors per hour.

The best hours to watch are just before dawn, so make sure you get enough rest till then and the grab a cup of coffee and a companion and head to a terrace or an open space with no or very little artificial light, for the best viewing environment. Thank your lucky stars (pun intended) that this year the moon is a waxing crescent; this means that there will be very little light blocking your vision.

You don’t have to be an astronomer or a connoisseur in star gazing to look out for these, the meteors fly in every direction across the sky. We would recommend looking halfway across the sky for the most activity.

This shower has some meteors that could take a few seconds to move and also leave a persistent white trail after the glow has faded.

Things to remember while watching the Eta Aquarids meteor shower

  • Be patient. Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. You may not be able to see fainter meteors right away.
  • Most showers neither have fixed number of meteors nor regular intervals between meteors. Do not be disappointed if you see one meteor and don’t catch any for the next 30 minutes. Wait longer and you may just get a sudden burst in the number of meteors.
  • The Eta Aquarids are more dominant in the southern hemisphere but the northern hemisphere star gazers can catch it from around 4 am till sunrise.

Meteor showers can be very overwhelming for space-buffs or adventure lovers. They can also provide a relief from the chaos of city life.  Frequent meteor shower viewers will know that this is one of the best showers to view because of the frequency of meteors and favourable viewing and weather conditions in India right now to support it.

Additional fun for meteor shower night

  • You could download an astronomy app on your phone or tab and take it along with you for some additional educative fun.
  • Make a meteor shower playlist of songs that would heighten your senses while you watch the star studded sky.

With music and stars flying across the sky, I think you are in for a pretty surreal night. Have a fun experience!