Seeing Beyond the Sky: Stargazing Trips

Pearl Coutinho

In ancient times, people used stars as a navigation tool. Later on, astronomers grouped these stars into constellations to study and track movements of the sun and the planets. Much has been discovered since those days. While there are volumes of work done on celestial bodies that surround the Earth, there have also been experiences created. One of them being the star gazing trips conducted by the Advancement of Sciences Publishing and Distribution (ASPD), which is a center of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).
Stargazing, in simple terms, involves observing and learning about the stars or celestial bodies. While astronomers do a more in-depth study, the stargazing trips by ASPD are meant for everyone. The main objective of these trips is to raise awareness about astronomy. Attendees will often find themselves amidst people who have joined to merely enjoy the trip, or sometimes they are people who are passionate about astronomy.
The trips are organized by a team, which includes Abdullah AlHarbi, who started out as a portrait photographer who had a fascination about various types of photography. After attending one of ASPD’s stargazing trips himself, his photographical inclinations shifted to a desire to explore and capture our vast universe.
The stargazing trips that AlHarbi participated in organizing with ASPD are held in Al-Salmi desert. He says that it is the best place to go on these trips because it has the least amount of light pollution. The darker the skies are, the more stars and nebulas are visible. The attendees meet at the nearest point to Al-Salmi desert and from there, they go as a group to the location.
Every stargazing trip starts with an explanation of the astronomical terms, how the sky degree could be measured using the palm of the hand, or how to locate the Northern Star. AlHarbi also teaches people how to identify constellations and use them for directions. He says that if a person knows all of this, she or he would be able to stargaze on their own.
“When people see the planets like Saturn or Jupiter, they get stunned. The reaction is amazing,” he said. “In fact, there is a part of the trip where we shoot people with the stars; for example, in the summer, we shoot people with the Milky Way Galaxy and every time we show them the image, people are often speechless.”