Are you looking for Stargazing and Astronomy + Camping sites near Mumbai and Pune? if Yes, then you are on the right page. Many locations near city center provides a unique weekend experience to family, kids and couples where camping provides some adventure with closeness near nature. Some of the camping sites are located near lake brims with plenty of water round the year, remaining cool even in summer seasons.
However before you dive into best places for stargazing near Mumbai and Pune, simply go through some basics of stargazing, including the best time to visit these places, how to select best place for stargazing considering safety aspect (especially for girls), what is meaning of stargazing, what are you supposed to learn and which are things to carry for stargazing.
I think knowing all these things is equally important before you simple head down to the place.
Also I will be updating upcoming important events like meteor shower calendar, Moon Lunar Eclipse (Chandra Grahan) dates in 2019, Major Astrological events visible in India etc.
What is best time for Stargazing near Mumbai & Pune?
- Best time for stargazing in India starts at December and lasts till February.
- Reasons for being so is clear cloudless nights are important for stargazing which you can get in early Winter or early Spring in India (Monsoon is over by then clearing clouds)
- Preferable night to be selected with little or no moon. (Full moon nights should be avoided for stargazing, however you can surely enjoy camping and night trekking during full moon nights in and around Mumbai & Pune)
- Generally Summers in India are hot, hence selecting a campsite near lake or river can be a good idea to enjoy cool breeze.
- Winter nights are mostly too cold once you move away from city centers of Mumbai and Pune, to give you an example if you go-to Harishchandragad for stargazing, winters can go as cold as 5 to 6 degrees with lot of breeze during night time. However such nights you can enjoy campfire with skygazing.
- How to check the condition of Sky on the stargazing night? Cloudy or not?
Technology helps you to check the likely-hood of cloud formation on the stargazing night on given location. The satellite imaging which is available for FREE, helps you to know precise conditions.
Please Click here to check sky clouds situation
The satellite sky images are updated every 6 hours, so use a thumb rule, if more water vapor seen in image there is likelihood of cloud formation.
http://satellite.imd.gov.in/img/3Dasiasec_vis.jpg - Wait and watch
Yes, finally nature can’t be predicted even though technology can help you to have best guess. Its quite possible to face a cloudy situation on the sky gazing night, don’t worry, simply wait and watch, if you are lucky, you get some patches in night with clear sky.
During the cloudy sky situations many campsites conduct discussion sessions, or have presentations using projector with slide shows and astro-movies to keep the audience engaged. So selection of campsite with projector facility & a small movie theater is very much important.
And if at all you feel sleepy, get inside the tent and sleep peacefully 🙂
What is meaning of Stargazing?
- In simple definition terms Stargazing is Observing the Stars.
- Stargazing is looking up at the stars and objects in space as a hobby or scientific study, or astrology.
- From an expert you can learn the following things during a stargazing program
- Understand What is a Star?
- Birth and death of a Star
- Meaning by Constellation
- Meaning of Nebula
- Meaning of Cluster
- About Galaxy
What are the essential Things to carry for Stargazing?
First I suggest you to go through my own list of 15 Important Things to Carry for Trek in India, apart from this list, you will need something special only specific to stargazing activity that you will be doing during camping –
- The usual binoculars or a small telescope (as an example Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Telescope)
- Big 10″ or above telescopes are generally to be arranged by organizers
- A star-map (actual print)
- A tablet/laptop with Stellarium App
- One small (dim) torch for reading
- One big torch for other purpose
- Astromaster Reflecting Telescope (available online Telescopes)
- Protection from insects
One more gadget which I found very much interesting is Universal Mobile Phone Binocular Telescope Adapter Mount which looks something like an image below (You can see it online here)
12 Best Stargazing places near Mumbai and Pune
- Vangani
- Neral
- Dahanu
- Bhivpuri
- Karjat
- Lonavala (Pavana dam)
- Jawhar
- Malshej Ghat
- Kamshet
- Kashid
- Bhandardara
Guide on selection on campsite for stargazing near Mumbai and Pune
- Campsite shall be safe and compounded
- Generator backup should be available
- Tents shall be equipped with comfortable carry mats to sleep.
- Sufficient and clean Toilets shall be available, separate for gents and ladies (preferably)
- Telescope with Instructor should be available
- Availability of Mineral Water
- Campfire facility especially during winter season
- Food (well equipped kitchen facility to serve hot tea during chilling nights)
- Safe Parking for cars
कृत्रिम उपग्रह ( सॅटेलाईट्स ) – ही अवकाशामध्ये चमकणारी वस्तू आपणास वेगाने जाताना दिसेल. कमी वेळामध्ये ही वस्तू आपणास अवकाशातील एका ठिकाणाहून दुसऱ्या ठिकाणी जाताना दिसेल. जास्तीत जास्त एक मिनिटभर ती आपणास दिसेल.
ग्रह – ग्रह चमकत नाहीत. ताऱ्यांना स्वतःचा प्रकाश असतो तर ग्रह सूर्याचा प्रकाश परावर्तित करतात. तसेच ताऱ्यांच्या मानाने ते कितीतरी पट पृथ्वीच्या जवळ असल्याने त्यांचा प्रकाश स्थिर जाणवतो.
तारे – तारे चमकताना किंवा लुकलुकताना दिसतात.. ग्रहांच्या मानाने तारे कितीतरी पट दूर असल्याने त्याच्या पासून येणारा प्रकाश पृथ्वीवरील वातावरणाच्या माध्यमातील धुलिकणांमुळे अडला जातो व इतरत्र पसरला जातो. पृथ्वीवरून त्यांना पाहताना त्याचा प्रकाश हालताना आणि तुटक मिळतो.
उल्का – सर्वात जास्त वेगाने जाणारी तसेच क्षणात अदृश्य वस्तू म्हणजे उल्का. एखाद्या धूमकेतूची परिभ्रमण कक्षा जर पृथ्वीच्या परिभ्रमण कक्षेला छेदून गेली असल्यास, पृथ्वी सूर्य प्रदक्षिणा करताना त्या विशिष्ट जागेतून जाताना त्या धूमकेतूच्या मागे द्रव्यामधील धूलीकण, दगड इतर वस्तू गुरुत्वाकर्षणामुळे पृथ्वीच्या दिशेने आकर्षित होतात व पृथ्वीवर आदळण्या आधीच वातावरणामध्ये घर्षणाने नष्ट होतात. त्यांनाच उल्का असे म्हणतात. प्रचंड वेगामध्ये वातावरणामध्ये प्रवेश केल्यावर घर्षणाने त्या उल्का पेट घेतात. परंतु आकारमानाने लहान असल्यामुळे जमिनीवर पोहचण्या आधीच त्या नष्ट होतात. कधीतरी आकाशात पाहताना अचानक एखादा तारा तुटल्यासारखे आपणास जाणवते त्याच उल्का.
धूमकेतू – धूमकेतूमागे आपणास शेपटी असलेली दिसेल. ही शेपटी बर्फाच्छादित धुलीकणांची असते व जसजसा तो धूमकेतू सूर्याच्या अधिक जवळ येऊ लागतो,त्यावेळेस हे बर्फाच्छादित धुलीकण विरघळून धूमकेतू पासून अलग होतात आणि धूमकेतूमागे धुलीकणांची एक शेपटी तयार होते. त्यामुळे धूमकेतू एखाद्या झाडूसारखा दिसू लागतो. काही आठवड्यांमध्ये तो आपली सूर्य प्रदक्षिणा संपवून पूर्ववत दूर जाऊ लागतो व त्याबरोबर त्याची शेपटी देखिल लहान होत होत अदृश्य होते.
- व्याध Sirius,
- अगस्ती-Canopus
- मित्र- Rigil Kentaurus,
- स्वाती -Arcturus
- अभिजित-Vega
- ब्रम्हहृदय-Capella
- राजन्य- Rigil,
- प्रश्वा,Procyon
- काक्षी-Betalgeuse
- अग्रनद Achernar
- मित्रक-Hadar
- श्रवणAltair
- ऍक्रक्स-Acrux
- रोहिणी-Aldebaran
- ज्येष्ठा-Antares
- चित्रा-Spica
- प्लक्ष-Polllux,
- मीनास्य-Fomalhaut
- हंस-Deneb
- मिमोसा-Mimosa
Read my latest guide based on my practical experience
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