IMilky Way njengoko ibonwe ePitcairn ikhe yanyangwa kubakhenkethi abambalwa abazibiza ngokuba ngabakhenkethi beAstro. Isibhakabhaka asinamkhawulo ebusuku kwiiPitcairn Islands ezikude. Ezi ziqithi zePasifiki ziphinde zazibeka kwinqanaba lehlabathi njengoko ziqala uhambo lokuba ligosa elisemthethweni elithi 'Dark Sky Sanctuary'. Okwangoku, zintathu kuphela iindawo emhlabeni ezibonwa njenge 'Dark Sky Sanctuary' -igama elithetha yonke into emhlabeni we-Astro Tourism.
Iziqithi zePitcairn, ngokusemthethweni iPitcairn, iHenderson, iDucie kunye neOeno Islands, liqela leziqithi ezine zeentaba-mlilo kumazantsi oLwandlekazi lwePasifiki ezenza indawo yokugqibela yaseBritane engaphaya kwePasifiki kuMazantsi ePacific.
Iziqithi ezine- iPitcairn eyiyo, iHenderson, iDucie, kunye neOeno- zichithakele kumakhulu aliqela eemayile zolwandle kwaye zinomhlaba odityanisiweyo omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-47 ezikwere (18 sq mi). IHenderson Island i-akhawunti engama-86% yomhlaba, kodwa yiPitcairn Island kuphela ehlala abantu.
I-Pitcairn lelona lizwe lincinci elinolawulo lwabantu ehlabathini. I-Pitcairn Islanders luhlanga olucalucalulucalucaluli olwehle ikakhulu ukusuka kwisithoba Bounty abaguquli kunye neqaqobana labantu baseTahiti ababehamba nabo, umsitho ophindwe wabhengezwa kwiincwadi ezininzi nakwiifilimu. Le mbali isabonakala kwiifani zabaninzi besi siqithi. Namhlanje kukho malunga nabemi abasisigxina abangama-50 kuphela, abaphuma kwiintsapho ezine eziphambili.
Ukusuka kwiintlanganiso zokufiphala kwelanga ngokupheleleyo ukuya kwiiwekhishophu zokufota zezibane zasemaNtla, ukhenketho lwe-Astro kwihlabathi liphela lishishini elikhula ngokukhawuleza. Kwiminyaka yakutshanje, ukhenketho lwe-Astro lubhengezwe njengenkokeli kumzi-mveliso phakathi kwabahambi abanengqondo ezizinzileyo kunye neenkampani zokuhamba ngokufanayo. Ngenxa yezi zizathu nangaphezulu, iPitcairn iphinda iphindwe kabini kuKhenketho lwe-Astro ngokufaka isicelo sokuba yi-'Sky Sky Sanctuary 'ngo-2018.
Isicelo sePitcairn siya kuba sesomeleleyo ukuze siqiniseke kwaye ayisiyiyo eyokuqala eyokuchonga iziqithi eziye zafuna. Kwi-2015, i-United Kingdom yabiza amanzi ajikeleze iziqithi zePitcairn njengeyona ndawo ikhuselekileyo yolwandle emhlabeni. Namhlanje ihleli njengeyona ndawo yesithathu ikhuselweyo elwandle emhlabeni. Ukuzinikela okungagungqiyo kwePitcairn kulondolozo kuya kuqinisekisa ukuba ubutyebi bendalo buya kuhlala buhleli kwizizukulwana ezizayo. Ifunyenwe ngaphezulu kwama-3kms kummelwane osondeleyo, enzulu eSouth Pacific, iIziqithi zePitcairn ziphakathi kwezilwandle eziselwandle kunye nesibhakabhaka ebusuku. Ngapha koko, inabantu abangama-500 kuphela, kunye nomhlaba wentaba-mlilo obonelela ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo zokubukela, iPitcairn ibekwe ngokufanelekileyo ukuhlangabezana neemfuno ezithile zoKhenketho lwe-Astro.
Njengenyathelo lokuqala kwilizwe lezokhenketho i-Astro, iPitcairn imeme uNjingalwazi wase-Emeritus we-Astronomy kwiYunivesithi yaseCanterbury, uJohn Hearnshaw, ukuba atyelele ezi ziqithi ngoFebruwari ka-2018. Inxulumene noqeqesho lwezikhokelo zesibhakabhaka ebusuku, indawo yokujonga indawo, kunye nokulinganisa ukukhanya. Izihloko zoqeqesho kunye nezikhokelo ze-Pitroirn ezihlumayo ze-Astro ziya kubandakanya ulwazi malunga neeplanethi, iinkwenkwezi, i-nebulae kunye neminyele, ukusithwa kwenyanga kunye nokukhanya kwelanga, ukugcina ixesha kwi-astronomy, imingxunya emnyama, ii-quasars kunye ne-cosmology.
Ngeendawo ezichongiweyo kunye noqeqesho lwezikhokelo zasekuhlaleni eziqala ngoFebruwari 2018, inyathelo elilandelayo lePitcairn iya kuba kukufaka isicelo sayo 'Indawo emnyama yeSanctuary'. Ukuba wanikwa eli wonga libalulekileyo, iPitcairn iya kujoyina iindawo ezintathu kuphela ezikhoyo emhlabeni kubandakanya nemimandla ekude yeChile, iNew Zealand kunye neNew Mexico.
Ukwenza isibhengezo, Umququzeleli wezohambo ePitcairn, u-Heather Menzies uthe, “IPitcairn ine skyscapes esimnyama esimangalisayo. Ngokuhambelana nokuzinikela kwethu ekukhuseleni indalo esingqongileyo, sijolise ekupheliseni amava okujonga isibhakabhaka ebusuku ekumgangatho wePitcairn. Ukuba sisiqithi esisemgangathweni nesikwanti, indawo yethu yemidlalo yeqonga iya kuba yindawo efanelekileyo yeendwendwe ezingenadyudyu ze-Astro. ”
Ifunyenwe phakathi kweNew Zealand nePeru, iPitcairn ibilikhaya kwinzala yabaHambeli beNtsholongwane ye-HMAV ukusukela nge-1790 kwaye ihlala yenye yezona ndawo zikude nezingafunyanwanga kwiindawo zokhenketho emhlabeni. Eli thuba litsha liya kunika iindwendwe esinye isizathu esinyanzelayo sokundwendwela le ndawo inomdla kunye neendawo ezikude.
Ukufikelela ePitcairn kudlula kwinkonzo yokuhambisa ngenqanawa enikezela nge-12 yokujikeleza rhoqo phakathi kweMangareva eFrench Polynesia nasePitcairn Island.
