Lovers of luxury and wellness, get ready: Six Senses is headed to the Lowcountry.
09.02.2024 - 10:46 / travelandleisure.com
April’s total solar eclipse may be topping news headlines, but the months leading up to the hyped event are full of astronomical sightseeing opportunities, too — starting with February. This month, night sky enthusiasts have a host of interstellar attractions to choose from. There’s a meteor shower, planet conjunction, and an above-average chance to see thenorthern or southern lights, not to mention an extra night for stargazing onleap day come Feb. 29.
For North American stargazers and astrophotographers, February also marks the return of the Milky Way core. The bright, dynamic core of our home galaxy is visible in the northern hemisphere from February to October. To see it this month, you’ll have to set your alarm early; it rises between 3 to 4 a.m.,according to SLR Lounge. It rises earlier and earlier each night until fall.
Come for the Milky Way, stay for the planets and stars. Here’s what to look for in February’s night sky.
Kicking off the month, the waning gibbous moon will glide by blue-hued Spica, the brightest star in the Virgo constellation,according to stargazing app SkySafari. You can see the duo together either with your naked eye or, better yet, a pair ofstargazing binoculars, from the night of Jan. 31 to the early morning of Feb. 1 in the southern sky. The moon will be within one degree (or finger’s width) of Spica by 3 a.m. ET.
From Jan. 28 to Feb. 21, the Alpha Centaurid meteor shower will decorate the skies near the constellation Centaurus. This shower is visible in the southern hemisphere, and generates a relatively low rate of meteors per hour: around six during the peak on Feb. 8,according to High Point Scientific. That said, if you find yourself in the southern hemisphere, particularly in a dark-sky location, it’s worth heading out; light from the dim waning crescent moon won’t disrupt the show.
A dark, new moon night promises the best odds for stargazing — and this month, it hits on Feb. 9. This evening, and the nights and early mornings surrounding it, provide top-notch viewing of our neighbors near and far. Look to the west-northwest sky in the evening to early night to see the spiral Andromeda Galaxy, the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way.According to NASA, it’s visible to the naked eye on moonless nights — particularly indark-sky-certified destinations. Gaze to the southwest sky around the same time to catch the Pleiades star cluster, Uranus, and Jupiter lined up near the Taurus constellation. Stay up late to catch the Milky Way core hovering just above the east-southeast horizon around 4 a.m. ET as well.
The moon and Jupiter will get cozy this Valentine’s Day, with Jupiter glowing just above and left of the waxing crescent moon,according to NASA. Look for the pair just
Lovers of luxury and wellness, get ready: Six Senses is headed to the Lowcountry.
WHEN I WAS growing up in Stockton, Calif., in the 1970s and ’80s, there were only two special-occasion restaurants acceptable to my family. They were both on the south side of the city, in the barrio. My Mexican-born liked Mi Ranchito, and for my dad it was Arroyo’s Cafe. No matter which one we went to, my order was always the same: rib steak ranchero with rice, refried beans and leaves of undressed iceberg lettuce wilted by soupy salsa. I’d pinch torn pieces of machine-pressed flour tortillas around the slices of steak and mix in all the sides. It was a celebratory meal if there ever was one.
Southwest Airlines and Omni Hotels & Resorts are teaming up to offer a special "Solarbration" sweepstakes ahead of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.The sweepstakes—which can be entered now through March 11—will reward two lucky winners with a prize package that includes air travel on a flight predicted to be in the direct path of the eclipse.The flight options include Southwest Flight 1252, which departs Dallas (Love Field) at 12:40 p.m. CT for Pittsburgh, and Southwest Flight 1721, which departs Austin at 12:55 p.m. CT for Indianapolis.Omni will do its part by putting the winners up in custom-designed guest rooms inspired by the celestial event. The special accommodations will be located at Omni Hotels in the departure cities of Dallas and Austin and the arrival cities of Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.In addition to roundtrip flights and accommodations for two nights, winners will receive exclusive solar eclipse viewing glasses and fun inflight experiences aboard their eclipse flights.
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