Tag: Maldivian islands

Gems of the Maldivian Sky IV.: THE MOON AND THE PLANETS

25. 11. 2022

The starry sky above the Maldives invites you to look at the Milky Way, captivating star clusters, nebulae, galaxies or even the faint light from the Solar System—the Zodiacal Light (read our previous blog posts). But there are also much brighter objects that can really surprise you with their brilliance. In addition to the well-known cosmic neighbor—the Moon—these are the planets of the Solar System itself. When and where to look for them? Continue reading the fourth part of the series about gems of Maldivian sky, written by Petr Horálek

WHO RULES THE SKY ON THODDOO?

12. 9. 2022

Although you can see several species of birds on Thoddoo Island, don’t expect the king of the sky to be a representative of the bird kingdom! It is a mammal, the “Indian Flying Fox” (Pteropus giganteus). It is one of the largest aircraft in the world, 0.6-1.6 kg at maturity, measuring only 15-22 cm long, but with a respectable wingspan. It is one of the world’s largest species of flycatcher, weighing about 1.2-1.5 m.
The Indian Flying Fox includes four subspecies: Pteropus giganteus giganteus, Pteropus giganteus leucocephalus, Pteropus giganteus ariel and Pteropus giganteus chinghaiensis
Which one lives in Thoddoo? It appears to be a subspecies of Pteropus giganteus ariel. Pteropus hypomelanus has also been described in the Maldives but is an endangered species in this area.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Gems of the Maldivian Sky III. : THE ZODIACAL LIGHT

15. 8. 2022

Many people don’t even notice, but the dark skies allow them to see another gem of the visible universe: the Zodiacal Light.  An unsharp column of light appears after dust or before dawn in the direction where the sun is located below the horizon.  The best locations for Zodiacal Light gazing are around the equator, where the Maldives are also found.  This light comes from our Solar System and definitely belongs among the gems of the Maldivian sky.  What does it cause and where to see it?  Continue reading the third part of the series about gems of Maldivian sky, written by Petr Horálek

Gems of the Maldivian Sky II.: THE SOUTHERN CROSS

8. 8. 2022

Petr Horálek – famous astrophotographer and popularizer of astronomy and one of our special guests in Amazing View offered to prepare for our fans an interesting talk about gems that can be seen in the night sky over the Maldives and to complement it with his own photographs. His first talk was about the Milky Way, today’s one is about the Southern Cross. Also this post is accompanied with his breathtaking original photos.
Have a wonderful experience reading this post and thank you so much for it Petr.

Gems of the Maldivian Sky I.: THE MILKY WAY

26. 7. 2022

Petr Horálek – famous astrophotographer and popularizer of astronomy, also awarded by NASA – was staying in Amazing view guesthouse at the turn of February and March 2022. Petr specialises in photographing rare night-sky phenomena. His images capture unique moments, which he calls “pearls of astronomy”, that add to the immeasurable beauty of a dark starry sky. Something he thinks that everyone should see at some point in their lives.

Petr offered to prepare for our former, current and future guests an interesting talk about these gems that can be seen in the night sky over the Maldives and to complement it with his own photographs. Thank you very much Petr.