Welcome to The Southern Skies Star Party
Experience A Taste of the Bolivian Adventure
The Southern Skies Star Party makes it’s home
for a week at the Inca Utama Resort, which is located near the small town
of Huatajata, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, 78 miles north of La Paz,
Bolivia.
The observing site and hotel are at an elevation
of 12,500 feet above sea level, almost as high as Mauna Kea Observatory
in Hawaii.
South 16° 12’ 53.7"
West 068° 40’ 59.1"
SSSP is held during the dry Bolivian Winter
and that almost guarantees clear, transparent skies during the 10+ hours
of darkness. Nightime temperatures generally range in the 30F-40F degree
range with low humidity. Daytime temperatures easily top the 60F degree
mark and make sightseeing very pleasant.
Because of the high altitude, it is recommended
that you consult your physician about having a current physical before
considering a trip to the SSSP. On arrival in Bolivia, orientation instructions
are given and will explain how to acclimate to the high
altitude. You can expect that acclimation to take about 24 hours. To lessen
the effects of high altitude, you can consult your physician about having
a prescription of acetazolamide (Diamox) prescribed a few days before you
leave to help ease the symptoms of hypoxia.
While astrophotographers must carry cases
of equipment on the journey, observers can expect to have the use of a
wonderful telescope that is a permanent resident of the hotel.
A 14' x 40' roll-off-roof observatory at the
Hotel was built by Darius Morgan, Jr. for the November, 3 1994 solar eclipse
and contains a 10" f/5.6 StarMaster
Dobsonian telescope. This telescope is available
each evening for everybody’s use and enjoyment.
For more information on the 1998 SSSP take
a look at Totality Tours.
The people in Bolivia who help make the SSSP
a huge success are Crillion Tours, S.A.
Not only does the SSSP offer a great site for
photographing and observing the southern skies, but a wide variety of day
trips are offered for your enjoyment.
Please take a look in the near future of
a few of the ICSTARS
mini-tours for a taste of the SSSP and Bolivia (Coming Soon!- Please Check Back)
Photographs of the Southern Skies.
La Paz shopping tour.
Tiwanaku Ruins.
Titicaca Panorama.
Kalahuta Island via hydrofoil.
Copacabana via hydrofoil.
La Paz Tour & Moon Valley.
Fossil Hunt with Native Picnic.
Machu Picchu Extension.
The next SSSP with be held on Saturday, June
20 to June 27th, 1998. |