The moon ignores social distancing

Jupiter

Saturn 8 JUNE 10.30 pm

Seven Sisters (Pleiades) 19 JUNE 6.30 am

Mercury 5 JUNE

Mars

Venus 13 JUNE 1 am

Aldebaran 22 JUNE 6.30 pm t looks like the moon is eager to shake off its cabin fever this month. Within the space of just two weeks it will visit five planets – and all the sightings will be visible to the naked eye. This promises to be a fun project to follow, but be warned: You’ll have to sacrifice a few hours of sleep, and the final leg is a challenge to spot.

The first visit is a biggie: On 8 June, Jupiter, Saturn and the bright waxing moon move very close together. Depending on where you are in South Africa, the moon will start moving from the east towards this position at about 9 pm. The grouping is at its most picturesque at bedtime (10.30 pm), when it forms a beautiful triangle. This is an ideal photo opportunity! To see the moon’s visit to Mars, you’ll have to stay up much later. On 13 June, from 1 am, the three-quarter moon and Mars will both start rising from the east, approximately 2,5° apart. Mars is not very bright, but it’s easily recognisable due to its red sheen.

A crescent moon is involved in the final two visits, which makes them harder to spot. These visits also happen closer to the horizon and for a shorter period of time, so be prepared.

Something to take note of during these two sightings is the dark side of the moon, cradled in the arms of the crescent moon. You’ll be able to see it because of a phenomenon called “earth shine”, when the sunlight hitting earth is reflected back onto the moon.

A beautiful picture unfolds on the eastern horizon on the morning of 19 June: The crescent moon and Venus sit together, just 1,5° apart. The noteworthy pair can be seen between the Pleiades star cluster and the red star, Aldebaran.

The final visit occurs just after sunset on 22 June, when the new moon greets Mercury. The pair will meet 6° apart on the western horizon. Mercury isn’t very bright and there are stars surrounding it that are far brighter, so you’ll have to look carefully. Likewise, the moon will just be a sliver of light. But you can do it – good luck!

– Willie Koorts

You’re a geology lecturer on a cruise ship? That’s right. I studied Earth Sciences at Stellenbosch University and graduated in 2011, but I didn’t immediately go into the field. My heart was set on becoming a professional big wave surfer, so I went to Hawaii for four months with the aim of surfing the most notorious big wave spots in the world. I achieved personal goals and caught some massive waves, but fame and fortune, sadly, did not follow.

I came home to South Africa with an uncertain future. A family friend told me about the expedition cruise industry, but initially it didn’t appeal to me. Sometime later she forwarded me a Facebook post that was urgently advertising for a geologist, and out of sheer desperation I sent the company my CV. I got a callback almost immediately and had one weekend to prepare for a Skype interview. Three weeks later I was on a plane to meet the ship in Japan. I’ve never looked back!

What is expedition cruising? There’s an appetite among travellers to branch away from traditional tourist destinations and experience something adventurous and unique. Expeditions ships, which generally carry between 100 and 200 passengers, cruise to remote destinations like the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Galapagos Islands, among others.

These ships are usually equipped with tender boats that can ferry guests to places the main ship can’t reach. I’m a member of the expedition crew and part of my job involves leading hiking and diving excursions on these small boats, usually to see unique wildlife. The other part of my job happens back on board the ship when I give lectures about geology. The other crew members give lectures in their specific fields, be it marine biology, history, ornithology and botany.

When did you start taking photos? My best friend at university completed a photography diploma while he was doing his geology degree. He offered to take pictures of me surfing and that’s what sparked my initial interest.

Then I started working on the expedition ships and I got to experience some of the most incredible wildlife and landscapes in the world. I figured it would be a shame not to capture and share what I was seeing. All the expeditions have professional photographers on board – I would pester them with questions.

Where have you travelled to? I’ve seen some pretty amazing places, from the Inside Passage in Alaska to the pristine Kamchatka Peninsula off the coast of Russia.

Some of my top destinations include the rugged and less-developed west coast of Japan; the Chilean fjords; Fiji, for the waves; the remote Tristan da Cunha archipelago, only accessible by ship; and the Antarctic peninsula, which never fails to take my breath away.

Describe a moment that stands out. There was this day on Yankicha Island, part of the Kuril archipelago in Russia… Yankicha is an ancient volcano that collapsed into itself, forming a massive caldera filled with water that can only be accessed by zodiac on the right tide. The outside of the island is ringed by huge cliffs that are covered in sea birds. Every July, one of the lesserknown natural wonders of the world occurs when the island becomes a nesting area for up to a million endemic crested auklets.

I went into the caldera alone and found it absolutely filled with auklets. I spent more than an hour taking it all in, with no one around, in one of the most inaccessible places in the world. That moment stands tall.

What has expedition cruising taught you about travel? There’s nowhere better than South Africa. Our oceans exude diversity and you don’t have to go far for incredible wildlife encounters.

Your job sounds pretty perfect, but there must be challenges? I spend a lot of time in transit, which is ergonomically tough since I’m six foot four!

I’ve also had to give up any sort of “normal” life. Often, months will go by without seeing my family or getting time for the things I love most, like surfing.

As guides, we have to deal with managing guests’ expectations. We don’t get epic wildlife encounters every day, and sometimes weather forces us to cancel our operations. I also had to get over my debilitating fear of public speaking and think of ways to get people excited about geology. Let’s just say that my job is harder than the whale expert’s…

What’s always in your suitcase? My sarong from Mozambique – it goes everywhere with me. I got the idea from one of my favourite books, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Adams writes: “A towel is about the most useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.”

– Kyra Tarr

Follow James’s adventures on Instagram (@jameslowe783) and see his portfolio in go! #167

What do you enjoy most about crime fiction?

Do you travel a lot for your research?

by Denis Boyles with Gregg Stebben

First published in 1997 as The Lost Lore of Man’s Life, Harper Perennial R199 at takealot.com (eBook)

Way back before man abandoned the woods for the cities – and traded his hunting rifle for a BlackBerry – he had to know how to do certain things to survive. He had to trap and build and grow things, using his calloused hands and valuable knowledge passed down through the generations. For most men today, these once cherished skills are as dead as the dodo. But take heart! Now guys can reconnect with those less- complicated times, rediscover how to embrace adventure, and appreciate outdoor life. Denis Boyles, principal author of A Man’s Life, has culled a wealth of essential, nearly lost manly endeavours from U.S. government pamphlets, century-old publications, and ancient scouting manuals to help re- educate us in the fine macho arts…

This entertaining blurb from How to Catch a Pig sets the tone for a very unusual and interesting book. The rather long subtitle is equally enticing: “Lots of cool stuff guys used to know but forgot about the great outdoors”.

Ever wondered how to send a smoke signal? Or how to rescue someone from drowning? How about tracking a bobcat? When did you last splice a rope? These and many other topics are discussed at length and often in minute detail.

Here’s some handy camping advice:

Always camp on a site free from chances of overflow from sudden rains or rise of neighbouring creeks and streams. Burn off a clear space if heavy growths of dry grass, bush, etc., prevail; do this carefully lest it gets the best of you and a prairie or forest fire result. Never leave camp without putting out the fire; if no water is at hand use dirt or earth and smother it.

But then there’s also the slightly absurd “What to think about when alone in the woods”:

Curious Properties of Some Figures: To multiply by 2 is the same to multiply by 10 and divide by 5. Any number of figures you may wish to multiply by 5 will give the same result if divided by 2 – a much quicker operation than the former; but you must remember to annex a cipher to the answer where there is no remainder, and where there is a remainder, annex a 5 to the answer. Thus, multiply 464 by 5, the answer will be 2 320; divide the same number by 2, and you have 232, and as there is no remainder, you add a cipher. Now, take 357 and multiply by 5 – the answer is 1 785. On dividing 357 by 2, there is 178, and a remainder; you therefore place 5 at the right of the line, and the result is again 1 785.

And here’s some emotive writing under the heading “About Moccasins”:

When a man, I say, whose feet have been pinched and whose corns have been cultivated with leather boots or shoes for years, gets out and gets his first pair of moccasins on, he wants to run, leap, sing, dance, shout, whistle – he wants to do anything that will give vent to his joyous feelings. He would shake hands then with his worst enemy, if he were there, and slap him on the back; he would buy his wife a sealskin sack; he would hug his grandmother.

This delightful, at times off-beat book will keep you busy for a long time. And you will certainly learn a few new things along the way.