Science and Discovery in the World’s Best Destination for Astrotourism

DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF

Flagstaff’s commitment to stargazing is supported with light restrictions making it the ideal destination to explore the night skies In 1958, the Flagstaff City Council passed the world’s first lighting ordinance banning advertising search lights that were making it difficult for professional astronomers to complete their night sky research Flagstaff is home to Lowell Observatory, the U.S Naval Observatory’s Flagstaff Station, United States Astrogeology Science Center or USGS, the National Undergraduate Research Observatory,Braeside Observatory and the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI). In 2001, the City of Flagstaff became the World’s First International Dark Sky City a designation awarded by the International Dark Sky Association. Flagstaff’s low light pollution and commitment to enforcing stargazing-friendly lighting restrictions make it the ideal destination to explore the night skies for science discovery and a dark sky refuge for hundreds of amateur astronomers

For more than 125 years Lowell Observatory has connected people to the universe,through education, exploration and discovery Low- ell Observatory carved out a niche for many discoveries including Pluto History is made every day by their brilliant team of researchers Flagstaff has become one of the premier deep space research sites in the world and an ideal location for locals and visitors to view and learn more about the night sky Yale University entered an agreement with Lowell for the 100 Earths Project using the EXPRES high-precision spectrograph on the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT) in Flagstaff, Arizona to search for exoplanets with greater precision than ever before.

Lowell Observatory is open daily, offering tours and educational programs with night sky viewing. Experience the ever impressive and historic Clark Refractor and the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, a public observing plaza with high powered advanced telescopes

Please see ASTROTOURISM, Page 4

It makes it wetter across much of the U.S South and West, Peru, Uruguay and Argentina, some of Southeast Asia, and a bit of east central Africa. It makes it drier in southeast Africa,southern Asia,northern Australia and the Amazon and often leads to increased wildfires in those areas

It’s warmer in much of Asia,the American Pacific Northwest and Australia.

El Ninos occur on average about every three to five years and vary in strength, according to the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The last strong El Nino was in 2016

Because “the impacts of El Nino look a lot like the impacts of global warming,” studying the El Nino economic damage “is pretty essential” to understanding the bigger damage from human-caused climate change, Mankin said. It shows a world unprepared for the hurt that’s coming, he said.

“Our economies are poorly adjusted and poorly adapted to the climate variability that we have right now,” Mankin said. Neither Mankin nor Callahan are fulltime economists Economists who looked at their study were not impressed, but other climate scientists were.

It s not the case that all countries suffer from an El Nino In fact in some cases it’s just the opposite,” said University of Cambridge macro-economist Kaimar Mohaddes His 2017 study in the Journal of International Economics looked at 21 national economies mostly developed, during past El Ninos and found in the United States and Europe an El Nino “has a growth-enhancing effect” while it harmed Australia Chile Indonesia India Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Mankin and Callahan said their study looked at the globe as a whole, not individual countries

Marshall Burke, an economist and environmental policy professor at Stanford University, said the Dartmouth scientists “make a compelling case that this has really slowed growth in severely affected

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Science discovery continues at Lowell Observatory as construction continues on the new Astronomy Discovery Center set to open in the fall of 2024

Another interesting fact is all the astronauts that have walked on the moon trained in Flagstaff and you can walk in their footsteps In 2019, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of humankind’s grandest achievements with Neil Armstrong’s first step onto the Moon on July 20, 1969 Over the ensuing three years 11 other people walked on and explored the Moon. This was possible only with years of preparation, in which many milestones occurred in the Flagstaff area including astronaut science training, instrument development and lunar mapping. Experience Flagstaff’s Lunar Legacy at multiple landmarks in and around Flagstaff with the Lunar Legacy Passport available at discoverflagstaff com and the Flagstaff Visitor Center (1 E Route 66)

The passport is will guide your astronomical journey to Lowell Observatory, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park and Meteor Crater VisitMeteorCraterandBarringerSpace Museum, about 37 miles east of Flagstaff off I-40 The amazing, 50,000 year-old meteor crater is a can’t-miss destinations for science,discovery and space enthusiasts in northern Arizona. The crater was left as the result of a meteorite (estimated to be about 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons) striking the Earth with a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb explosion Get an up-close look at the crater from the indoor viewing area of the visitor center, outside on one of the observation decks and self-guided trails,or on a guided tour along the rim Explore the Barringer Museum, experience immersive multimedia presentations,4D theater and fascinating hands-on exhibits like the Moon module replica that was used to train the Apollo 11 astronauts

A short drive down Highway 89 is a spectacular 900-year-old volcanic landscape Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is not only stunning, it’s a frequent astronaut training and equipment testing site In April 2023, Sunset Crater Volcano received an official designation as an Apollo mission training site and training historic district A plaque and informational sign have been added to the Bonita Vista Trail Did you know astronaut training continues for the next moon mission in and around Flagstaff?

Located next to Buffalo Park at 2255 N Gemini Rd., you will find early moon mapping and lunar science but first make an appointment at the US Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center In the USGS Gene Shoemaker building six, you will be amazed to find one of the remaining Lunar Rover Vehicle (LVR) simulators on exhibit in the lobby

Thanks to Flagstaff’s dedication to preserving and protecting dark skies, as the world’s first International Dark Sky place, the world can enjoy more dark skies, especially in Arizona. Arizona is home to more certified IDA Dark-Sky communities than any other U S state Areas in and around Flagstaff with IDA Dark-Sky certification include Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Walnut Canyon National

NATACHA PISARENKO, ASSOCIATED PRESS Roads countries like Peru, and resulted in trillions of (dollars) of lost economic output around the world.

“This paper has certainly made me much more worried about the upcoming and likely large El Nino,” Burke said in an email Michael McPhaden, a NOAA oceanographer who studies El Ninos, said he has long thought damage estimates of El Nino were way too low and more important the “big loser during El Nino is the global south,” which are poorer nations that are hit the hardest.

“The economic impacts of the El Nino that is predicted for later this year will depend on how strong it is” McPhaden said in an email. Big “monster El Ninos” like those in 1997-98 “can be hugely damaging with lingering effects that carry over into following years On the other hand,if it turns out to be a garden variety El Nino, the consequences may be more muted and the recovery time shortened.”

Entre Rios, Argentina

Monument and Grand Canyon National Park. Starry skies are abundant and you can even see the Milky Way in downtown Flagstaff!

Enjoy star parties with the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition during the Festival of Science or visit flagstaffdarkskies org for more information and star party events Dark skies are not just for astronomers but benefits all of us from human health

ALTAF QADRI, ASSOCIATED PRESS the ocean reflecting the moon and stars And, the IDA, estimates that at least 30% of all outdoor lighting in the U S is wasted from light that is not shielded. Lastly, astronomers and stargazers rely on dark skies to discover and enjoy the night sky Flagstaff, truly is the world’s best destination for astrotourism, learn more at discoverflagstaff com. Please stay and play responsibly