A Saga Sapphire onboard class presented by the ship’s officers on how to use the stars to navigate is one of the attractions of a new Canary Island Constellations cruise in January 2018 offered by the British cruise line.
The themed cruise is dedicated to stargazing and guest speakers include top astronomer and space flight historian Howard Parkin, according to Saga.
A telescope is set up on deck for nightly sessions and guests also have the chance to use the ship’s sextant – an instrument which measures the angle between a celestial body and the horizon.
Shore excursions include the Sunset and Stars tour to Teide National Park, in Tenerife. Important astronomical observatories are based on Mount Teide to take advantage of the limited light pollution and clear night skies.
In addition, La Palma is home to the largest telescope in the world and a Saga tour to the Pilar viewpoint, about 3,300 feet above sea level, gives guests another chance to admire the stars and planets.
