Sky Watch September & October 2008
After a wonderful dinner in the Virgin Islands, go out and look to the southern sky and you will easily spot a bright, yellowish-white, star-like object. This is the largest of all the planets, Jupiter. Just to the west of Jupiter look for a bright red star. The star is Anatares, sometimes called the rival of Mars since they both are bright red.
Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, the Scorpion. Scorpius is one of the few star groups that actually look something like its name suggests. From Antares look slightly to the east and you can find a string of fainter stars that form the scorpion’s body and long curved tail.
All beaches in the Virgin Islands are open to the public. A few have dressing facilities and showers – Coki (at Coral World) and Magen’s Bay on St. Thomas; Cinnamon and Trunk Bay on St. John. Some hotel beaches have beach chair/umbrella rentals and restaurant/bars nearby, such as Frenchman’s Reef Morningstar Beach and Sapphire Beach. It is advisable to leave valuables at your hotel unless you have a plastic container to take them along on your swim or snorkeling while at the beach. Avoid the mid-day sun. Start out with a 20 minute exposure with suntan lotion on your first few days. Even sitting in the shade can result in sunburn.
Every year on St. Thomas, French Heritage Week is celebrated in conjunction with Bastille Day. It is a time of festivities and commemoration, and a time to relish in that bastion of gourmet experiences: French cuisine. 
Their slogan “Get up close and personal “ couldn’t be more appropriate. See tons of marine life without ever getting wet. See and learn about the beauty and magic of Caribbean marine life in a stunning setting. View life on a coral reef from their unique underwater observatory. Visit the shark pool where you can pet a shark or hand feed a stingray. Visit with the Lorikeets which will flock to your arm when offered a cup of nectar. And if you don’t mind getting wet bring your bathing suit so you can swim with the sea lions or try a Sea Trek Helmet Dive.
This unique attraction offers visitors a tram ride up to Paradise Point, 700 feet above sea level, where you can enjoy sweeping views of Charlotte Amalie Harbor, especially impressive when many of the cruise ships are in port. The tramway operates six cars, similar to those used at ski resorts, for the short ride to the summit. At the top, you can take in the amazing scenery and visit shops and the popular restaurant and bar. A visit at sunset is particularly beautiful. Recently added to Paradise Point is a new Bungie Jump. Located on the Main road in Havensight.
Being on vacation is in the Virgin Islands is a time to relax and forget about the world beyond the beautiful sandy beaches and warn Caribbean water. But, how about a short vacation astronomy quiz? What is the name of the star closest to the Earth? The Sun! Question two, how far away is the Sun. If you answered 93 million miles (149.7 million km), you are right and wrong. The average distance of the Earth from the Sun is 93 million miles, but that is just the average. The Earth is closest to the Sun on July 4th when the Sun will be some 94.8 million miles (152.6 million kilometer) away.
