Astronomical observation on Teide

Description Make your dream a reality and enjoy the Universe in a professional way in one of the best places for a stargazing experience in Tenerife: on Mount Teide. The history of the Teide astronomical observatory began in 1856, when the Titania set sail from England and arrived in Tenerife. On board were the astronomer Charles Piazzi Smyth and a cargo of instruments for astronomical observation. Smyth undertook a scientific expedition to the mountain peaks of Tenerife, climbing above the clouds to spend 63 days on Mount Teide and Mount Guajara setting up astronomical observatories on both peaks.

He set up his bases for observing the stars high on the mountains—to take advantage of the climate and the clarity of the sky above Las Cañadas. On the day of his departure from the island, he wrote that he wondered “how long the enlightened world would wait before establishing a station there with the potential to contribute so much to the advance of this most sublime of the Sciences”. A hundred years later, his dream would come true with the setting up of the Teide Observatory , one of the finest observatories in the world. Laying claim to the legacy of Piazzi Smyth, certified astronomical guides will wait for you during this Mount Teide stargazing experience to unravel the mysteries of the Universe for you using professional telescopes, which will allow you to see up close and for your own eyes those fascinating celestial objects that you have longed to see for many years, under the pure and clear sky of the Teide National Park, where it is possible to observe 83 of the 88 officially recognised constellations and where, in the summertime, you can enjoy perfect visibility of the Milky Way.

A fascinating stargazing experience in Tenerife to enjoy the most starry side of Mount Teide Have you always wondered what star or celestial object is that shiny point, either big or small, that you can see in the sky? Our Starlight guides will clear all your doubts as they will be there to unravel the mysteries of the Universe for you during this stargazing experience on Teide by night. Do you find it fascinating that ancient civilisations oriented themselves using the stars? Have you always wanted to be able to do it as well? But as the stars cannot be seen in the daytime, the mariners of old still needed the sun and geographical landmarks to orientate themselves and to plot their course. For centuries, sailors who ventured out to sea used Mount Teide as one of their landmarks. It was known as the lighthouse of the Atlantic, as it could be seen on the horizon from many miles away and so became a reference point for navigation.

The strange thing is that back then, when the Phoenician and Roman sailors, and later the Europeans, used Mount Teide as a lighthouse, it appears that the Guanches (the original inhabitants of Tenerife) knew nothing of navigation. To them, Mount Teide, or Echeyde as they called it, was the dwelling-place of fire. In pre-Hispanic times, Las Cañadas and Mount Teide were a communal territory not ruled by any of the Guanche kingdoms, or Menceyatos , that made up Tenerife. The Guanches were shepherds, and they used the high mountain peaks as communal grazing land during the summer, when pasture was scarce at lower altitudes.

They would live on the mountains with their flocks, and then when the weather turned colder, they would gather their flocks and bring them down again. A large number of archaeological sites across the National Park show evidence of human presence in those times. The Guanches used the mouths of volcanic tunnels, caves and hollows as dwellings, and even as burial tombs where they laid the mummies of their dead. But at night there are stars...

Lots of them. Our guides will show you how to guide yourself thanks to the sky . Furthermore, if Greek mythology and constellations have always been your passions, during this stargazing experience on Teide you will enjoy discerning the elements of Hellenic mythology, which are hidden behind the constellations and the relationship between them. Use our state-of-the-art telescopes to discover planets, galaxies or clusters as you have always dreamt of doing, and stargaze in one of the three best places on Earth to do it.

Not only will you be able to use these machines during this stargazing experience on Teide by night to take a tour through the night’s most interesting celestial objects but also our monitors will provide you with relevant information about the objects that you will see through the lens. Get closer to the stars with the professional telescopes on your Teide Astronomical Tour This stargazing experience on Teide by night lets you observe the clear, starry sky from the car park of the cable car base station (at an altitude of 2,536 m), using long-range, professional telescopes . We are sure that the astronomical instrumentation that you will have at your disposal during this stargazing experience on Teide by night, along with the quality and transparency of the sky over the Teide National Park in Tenerife, away from the light pollution produced by big cities, will give you a unique experience, which will feel as if you’re close to the stars . Mount Teide stargazing experience in Tenerife also on full moon nights It’s inevitable.

The moon passes through different phases during its 29-day cycle, that is to say, lunation. This is why, at least once a month, the potent glow of the Earth’s natural satellite will dim the faint light of the distant celestial bodies. If you book our astronomical observation on Teide and enjoy it on the night of the full moon, you will take advantage of its radiant appearance and be delighted with its splendour: craters, mountain ranges and other lunar wonders . You may ask, which ones? You can find the Montes Teneriffe, Mons Pico and the crater Piazzi Smyth on the moon.

If this is news to you, and you’re wondering why they have these names, write this question down so that you can ask our guides on the night of your stargazing experience in Tenerife.