Astrotourism could be a successful industry in Guyana – President of local astronomers club

…as regional experts call for more collaboration to promote astronomy in Caribbean

Guyana’s prime geographical position near the equator coupled with its low light pollution make the country an ideal destination for astrotourism where stargazers from around the world can gather to observe the celestial activities in the mysterious night sky.
This point was underscored by local astrophotographer Ferlin Pedro, who is the founder of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Guyana (AAG) which was established in 2015 to promote astronomy among Guyanese.
During a recent panel discussion on “Astronomy in the Caribbean” which was hosted by Moray House, Pedro was asked about the possibility of Guyana adding astrotourism to its international tourism portfolio.
Pedro admitted that he did have discussions with various tourism groups on the matter, but he cautioned that stargazers are a minority population.
He agreed that the concept of astrotourism would be perfect for the country, especially since developed countries have immense light pollution whereas Guyana offers many destinations for stargazing.
“It is a real industry and it is one we can tap into,” Pedro said, as he encouraged all interested persons to lobby the relevant authorities and start having public conversations about astrotourism in Guyana.

“The Caribbean region on a whole is a very special place because of our position along the equator. Guyana aligns perfectly there along the equator. We get the best of both worlds, the northern and southern hemisphere,” Pedro also explained.
But tourism is not the only opportunity available for astronomy lovers in Guyana and the Caribbean.
Mahendra Mahadeo, a Guyanese who hails from the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), explained how his hobby in astronomy turned into a promising career. During the panel discussion, he shared how growing up in Guyana, resources and knowledge about astronomy were very limited. In fact, they still are.
But this was not going to stop Mahadeo from pursuing his passion and at the age of 24, he built his own telescope. In fact, he admitted that to date, he has never really purchased a telescope, he just continues to build his own.
“The mirror was not coated, I simply assembled the tube with the uncoated mirror and I put all the pieces together … but the mount was not finished as yet and so I just propped [it] on a chair and pointed it towards the moon and brought the image into focus…and that was the first time I ever looked through a telescope,” he reminisced.
Mahadeo said he made many observations with his homemade telescope during his time in Guyana, including being able to see comet Lovejoy in 2015. Over time, Mahadeo also developed his skills for astrophotography – another exciting realm of opportunity for astronomy in Guyana and the Caribbean. Today, his hobby has turned into a career as he is now working with Tele Vue – a Chester, New York-based astronomical optics company known primarily for its premium brand of speciality eyepieces and apochromatic refractor telescopes.
“I was doing what I was passionate about. When I couldn’t get a telescope, I built one and I did it just as a hobby…in Guyana, I was an engineer working in the heavy machinery industry so I had a job that made me money and then I used that money to pursue my hobby … I didn’t expect to make a living out of my hobby,” he explained.
Mahadeo’s raw talent left President of the Barbados Astronomical Society David Marshall in complete awe. Marshall, who is an amateur astronomer, noted that there is a great opportunity for regional collaboration in the area of astronomy in the Caribbean.
“We don’t really have a framework for regional collaboration…at least I’m not aware of it…,” he expressed.
Noting that a larger interest in astronomy is being developed in the region, Marshall said there is a need for more information sharing and collaboration among Caribbean States.
For example, he explained if there is a noteworthy celestial event occurring within the region, there can be joint efforts to provide coverage. Another example, he said, is Mahadeo’s skill and knowledge in building his own telescope, which can be shared among other persons who are interested in the science but are unable to see through a telescope.
According to Marshall, the region has to overcome challenges such as restrictions on resources and information/knowledge sharing in order to aid in the promotion of astronomy in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, Dr Shirin Haque, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, also explained that as a child, she was always told that astronomy is not possible in the Caribbean. But today, she is a professional astronomer, working right in her home country. Dr Haque was the recipient of the Laureate in Science and Technology Award at the 2020 Anthony Sabga Caribbean Awards. She was also the first woman to be awarded the Caricom Science Award in 2018. A former Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Science and Technology and former Head of the Department of Physics at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Haque is currently the Programme Director for the Caribbean Hub in Radio Astronomy through the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and National Outreach Coordinator in International Astronomical Union.
She has undertaken extensive astronomy research right within the Caribbean.
For instance, she noted that OJ 287 – a BL Lac object located 3.5 billion light-years away, is observed from St Augustine.
“When it can be visible in the northern countries and there’s an observing campaign, our team on the ground…starts to take over the observation,” Dr Haque explained.
She noted too that a team from Trinidad was a part of the historic Rosetta Mission which landed a probe on a comet.
Another exciting aspect of astronomy is astrobiology. In Trinidad, Dr Haque would study the mud volcanoes which would be used as an analogue to “try to understand if you can find microbial life on Mars” where there are also mud volcanoes.
According to Dr Haque, “we can be small but it doesn’t mean that you are invisible.”
“We are doing wonderful and exciting things. So we can be here with next to no funding, but we can make magic happen.” (Devina Samaroo)