Astronomy Cruise on the Norwegian Coast
Experience a unique blend of natural beauty and astronomical exploration. Enjoy insightful lectures from astronomers and deepen your understanding of the universe. Observe star constellations and phenomena like the Northern Lights without the interference of light pollution with Havila Voyages.
Details
- Requires adding "Astronomy Sailing" addon when booking.
- Can be added to existing bookings via MyVoyage.
- All lectures are performed in english.
- 2025: From €300 / $320 / £250 per person.
- 2026: From €320 / $340 / £265 per person.
Departure dates 2026:
9 Mar, 2 Oct (details TBN).
Meet our experts from the Royal Astronomical Society and find your voyage
Get to know our experts and secure your spot for the departures listed below for each lecturer (each lecturer will be present on different sailings). Note that enrolling requires adding "Astronomy Sailing" addon to your voyage during the booking process. Can also be added to existing bookings via MyVoyage. Listed dates refer to departures from Bergen.
Ian Ridpath
Ian Ridpath is a internationally respected writer and lecturer.
Ian Ridpath serves as the editor of the esteemed Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and has penned a widely popular series of night sky guides tailored for beginners. He is a valued member of the Royal Astronomical Society’s outreach team, and has been guiding astronomy enthusiasts from all over the world for a long time to witness the Northern Lights in Norway for over 15 years, since 2010.
Lecture subjects
- Welcome to Norway: Introduction to the voyage and insight into what lies ahead.
- Fantastic Northern Lights: Wonders of the auroras – exploring their visual splendor, associated legends, and the science behind them.
- Stories of the Stars: constellations, their significance in myths, art, and positions in the sky.
- When We Walked on the Moon: The Apollo missions.
- The Planets: Our neighbour worlds in space.
- Comets, the Ghostly Wanderers: Learn about comets and their voyages through the cosmos.
- Eclipses of the Sun and Moon: The dynamics and importance of both solar and lunar eclipses.
Find voyages
John Maclean
John Maclean is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
He is also in the Royal Geographical Society as well as being an experienced Science Communicator in the fields of Astronomy and Astrophysics.John is also an award winning Astrophotographer and an experienced Northern Lights guide. His research field is Asteroids and Cometary science and he is a researcher and member of the UK Meteor Observation Network. He was part of the team who were joint winners of the 2022 RAS group award for Geophysics. John has held roles as Ambassador for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, Co-ordinator of the Comet Investigation Comittee and is a BBC astronomy correspondent.
Lecture subjects
- Celestial Lights! - Aurora beautifully illustrated talk (images by aurora expert Andy Green) about the phenomena known as the "Celestial Lights". We will explore the source of these colourful, dancing lights and the mythology attributed to them as well as looking at how the aurora is driven by Space Weather.
- VIKING ASTRONOMY – FACT AND LEGEND In this talk we look at how the Viking explorers used the Sun and the night sky to free themselves from coastal waters. We will examine the Norse constellations and the myths attached to them. We will also look at how the Viking used the legendary “Sunstones” to navigate.
- Journey through the Solar System. A close look at our galactic address, how the Solar System was formed with a close look at the planets. An informative talk illustrated with the latest images of our Solar System and wonderful animations.
- Hello? Is anyone out there? ( Aliens and Exoplanets)The first question astronomers are asked is, "do you believe in aliens?" In this fun but enlightening talk we look at the possibilities of life in the Universe and the way aliens have been imagined by Hollywood and others. Be prepared for some intriguing questions and sensible answers with a large lump of "tongue in cheek."
- OMG! We're all going to die (Asteroids, Comets and Meteors)A scary and humorous talk about the dangers we face from Near Earth Objects. This talk will have you gasping and laughing in equal measure!
- BANG! There goes the Universe.The history of the Universe from beginning to end in just 45 minutes! What do we know about the birth of the Universe, how it expanded and evolved and how it will end. Learn bout Einsteins "greatest blunder" and the men and women who discovered the secrets our existence.
Find voyage
How to book
New reservations
When booking your voyage you can add any available addons during the summary stage of the booking process.
Existing reservations
Simply click the link below and enter your reference to view all available addons for your existing booking.
Need a hand?
We are here to help with placing your booking, adding upgrades, and everything in between.