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Illustration of Meteor Shower

 

See the Dazzling Draconid Meteor Shower!
TREASURES OF TURKEY

October 3-14, 2011

Dear Members & Friends:
We invite you to join us to see the cultural wonders of Turkey during the rain of falling stars known as the Draconid Meteor Shower, October 3-14, 2011. In 2011, it is predicted to be one of the greatest meteor showers in the last 50 years, with upwards of 500 falling stars an hour! And Turkey will be the best place to see it!

Our expedition will begin in the enchanting international city of Istanbul, situated on the Bosporus Strait (the route to the Black Sea) and a bridge between Europe and Asia! Here we will visit the outstanding Topkapi Place, which once housed Sultans who ruled much of the Middle East. We will also walk under the dome of the great Blue Mosque, and see priceless treasures from around the world.

We’ll have a special visit to the University of Istanbul’s Old Observatory and learn about historic astronomical techniques as well as their modern work in solar and astrophysics.

We will then fly to ancient Cappadocia, a city of caves, and one of the oldest cities in the world. We will stay in a cave-like hotel carved in the rock cliffs. After dinner, we will have a lecture on the Draconid Meteor Show, followed by a look at the night sky in preparation for tomorrow night’s meteor display (which has the potential to be dazzling). What a fascinating setting for the Meteor Shower!

A short flight will take us to the Aegean Coast where we can ramble among the superb Greco Roman ruins of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis (Diana) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The following day we will visit Pergamum, famous for inventing parchment paper. It had a large library, Acropolis, the altar of Zeus, and the 10,000-seat amphitheatre. We will then follow a winding road to the picturesque village of Asclepion, a fourth century shrine to the God of Medicine.

Other adventures will await us in Assos and renowned Troy, one of the oldest discovered sights along the Aegean Coast, with nine different settlements and 30 outlying cities with its centerpiece the symbolic wooden Trojan Horse.

We invite members with an appetite for adventure and discovery to explore the wonders of Turkey, with good expectations of a fiery meteor display. Enjoy trip leadership by Bob Nansen and our popular archaeological guide!


Sincerely,
Bill Nye, The Science Guy®
Executive Director

$3,995 per person twin share + air.

Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)


Photo courtesy of John Ryan

 

 

 

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