{"id":12979,"date":"2024-03-26T05:01:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T06:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/?p=12979"},"modified":"2024-08-12T14:38:40","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T14:38:40","slug":"harnessing-local-knowledge-to-explore-the-fascinating-secrets-of-the-distant-stars-with-anantara-kihavah-maldives-villas-sky-gurus-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/2024\/03\/harnessing-local-knowledge-to-explore-the-fascinating-secrets-of-the-distant-stars-with-anantara-kihavah-maldives-villas-sky-gurus-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore the Fascinating Secrets of the Distant Stars with Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villa\u2019s SKY Gurus"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have all, at one time or another, gazed up into the night sky and\u00a0 contemplated the mysteries of the universe, but if ever you were planning to learn more about\u00a0 the stars and the secrets they hold, you would be hard-pushed to find a more ideal location\u00a0 than SKY at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Anantara Kihavah is not only a tropical\u00a0 island paradise but also a stargazer\u2019s dream location. The private island\u2019s remoteness means\u00a0 that it is free from light pollution, while its proximity to the equator affords spectacular views of\u00a0 both the southern and northern sky.<\/p>\n

\"Anantara
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Beach Villa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At SKY, Anantara Kihavah\u2019s overwater observatory combined with a luxury cocktail bar, the\u00a0 far reaches of the universe are brought into crystal clear focus as guests sip Champagne or\u00a0 cocktails and gaze through one of the most powerful telescopes in the region while the resort\u2019s\u00a0 two resident SKY Gurus regale them with fascinating stories of the night sky. Harnessing their\u00a0 local knowledge of the Maldivian sky to reveal the intriguing stories behind the countless stars\u00a0 that make up the distant constellations, Zunnoon Ahmed, known as Zunnu, and Ali Arushal,\u00a0 who goes by the name of Shalli, are Anantara Kihavah\u2019s Resident SKY Gurus. Both natives\u00a0 of Baa Atoll, Zunnu and Shalli are not only captivating storytellers, but they also each have\u00a0 their own story to tell.<\/p>\n

Zunnoon Ahmed<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Born and raised on the small island of Kudarikilu in Baa Atoll, Zunnu has always been\u00a0 fascinated by the night sky. Driven by a curiosity to unravel the secrets and stories behind the\u00a0 stars that fill the cloudless Maldivian skies, his fascination evolved into a passion for\u00a0 astrophotography when he was just 16 years old, marking the beginning of his journey into\u00a0 the enthralling world of astronomy.<\/p>\n

Although Zunnu pursued a career in the more conventional field of IT, currently serving as\u00a0 Assistant IT Manager by day and storytelling SKY Guru by night, his passion for stargazing\u00a0 only grew stronger. He collaborates with online telescope operators in his spare time,\u00a0 engaging in astro imaging to capture captivating glimpses of the cosmos through remote\u00a0 telescopes, while he is constantly looking for new ways to expand his knowledge. \u201cI always\u00a0 make it a habit to check online astronomy forums for the latest celestial discoveries and\u00a0 engage in discussions with fellow space enthusiasts,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Having originally joined Anantara Kihavah in 2017 as an IT Coordinator, overseeing the hotel\u00a0 network, managing hotel applications, and playing a key role in ensuring the seamless\u00a0 operation of various technological aspects for a smooth guest experience, Zunnu grabbed the\u00a0opportunity to develop his celestial passion by volunteering to study stargazing under the\u00a0 supervision of the resort\u2019s first SKY Guru, Ali Shameem.<\/p>\n

Across the next five years, Zunnu conducted research, took theory tests and participated in\u00a0 stargazing demos as part of his detailed training process. \u201cThe experience of learning about\u00a0 the stars was a bit challenging when I started,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut it has become truly fantastic\u00a0 now. The journey of understanding the cosmos has been both rewarding and enlightening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recalling his first stargazing session at Anantara Kihavah, Zunnu commented on how the\u00a0 positive reactions of the guests turned it into a rewarding and fulfilling experience, both for him\u00a0 and for his captivated audience. Sharing his passion now comes easily to the engaging Zunnu.\u00a0 \u201cWe all have a natural curiosity to understand the world around us,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnd the\u00a0 night sky, with its myriad stars, has always been a source of wonder and questions. Stars\u00a0 often hold cultural and mythological significance in various societies. Many cultures have\u00a0 created stories, myths, and legends based on constellations and individual stars, adding a\u00a0 sense of mystery and importance.\u201d<\/p>\n

While his own personal favourite star is Aldebaran, Zunnu is more than happy to take\u00a0 advantage of Anantara Kihavah\u2019s pristine location away from light pollution to find and share\u00a0 a variety of celestial events with the resort\u2019s guests. \u201cWe regularly witness awe-inspiring solar\u00a0 eclipses, captivating lunar eclipses, mesmerising meteor showers, and enchanting planetary\u00a0 conjunctions in our cosmic spectacle,\u201d he enthused.<\/p>\n

\"Anantara
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Underwater Restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ali Arushal<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

A more recent addition to Anantara Kihavah\u2019s small but elite team of SKY Gurus, Shalli is\u00a0 another native of Baa Atoll, having been born and raised on the island of Kendhoo. Shalli\u00a0 describes his childhood on Kendhoo as happy and enjoyable, and while his interest in the\u00a0 stars began at a young age, it was not until he joined Anantara Kihavah that he delved deeper\u00a0 into the field of astronomy.<\/p>\n

Having joined Anantara Kihavah\u2019s transport department in 2021, Shalli is part of the resort\u2019s\u00a0 launch crew, where his main responsibilities include ensuring transport operations run\u00a0 smoothly. However, his fascination with the amazing views of the Maldivian night sky resulted\u00a0 in him volunteering to train as the resort\u2019s next SKY Guru.<\/p>\n

During one and a half years of learning about stargazing from the resort\u2019s first SKY Guru,\u00a0 Shalli\u2019s intensive training involved theory tests, reading assignments, and stargazing\u00a0 demonstrations. Eager to expand his knowledge and complement his training, Shalli also\u00a0 seeks out additional information from the internet and YouTube.<\/p>\n

Describing his first stargazing session with guests as stunning, Shalli quickly warmed to his\u00a0 new role. As a SKY Guru, Shalli enjoys sharing his passion and imparting unknown knowledge\u00a0 about the stars to others. While he names Antares as his personal favourite star, he enjoys\u00a0nothing more than being able to show guests distant constellations or share such amazing\u00a0 spectacles with them as a lunar eclipse, solar eclipse or meteors.<\/p>\n

SKY Gurus lead guests on a cosmic journey across both hemisphere\u2019s stars and planets,\u00a0 clarifying what can be seen in the sky with the naked eye and using a green laser, they point\u00a0 out different constellations and explains light years and different types of galaxies. Guests are\u00a0 then able to view the sky from the observatory telescope which has a viewing capacity of 30\u00a0 million light years away.<\/p>\n

The locale gives guests an opportunity to see lunar eclipses, stars and planets invisible from\u00a0 Europe or America. Sometimes, depending on climate and time of the year, you can even\u00a0 catch a glimpse of Saturn with its pale-yellow rings, belts of Jupiter that vary in width, colour\u00a0 and intensity from year to year and the several hundred thousand of stars that make up\u00a0 Messier 13.<\/p>\n

SKY is the finest over water observatory in the Maldives built with a 3.8 metre revolving Ash dome and equipped with a research-grade Meade 16\u201d LX200 telescope with a magnification\u00a0 of 400x mounted on a super-giant field tripod.<\/p>\n

Embark on a cosmic journey at Anantara Kihavah\u2019s SKY Observatory.<\/p>\n

Book with Best Price Guarantee at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villa\u2019s >><\/a><\/h3>\n

More info about Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have all, at one time or another, gazed up into the night sky and\u00a0 contemplated the mysteries of the universe, but if ever you were planning to learn more about\u00a0 the stars and the […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12981,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[150],"tags":[193,656,188,197,657,205],"class_list":{"0":"post-12979","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-5-star-hotels-resorts","8":"tag-anantara-kihavah-maldives-villas","9":"tag-astronomy-maldives","10":"tag-best-price-guarantee","11":"tag-maldives-5-star-resort","12":"tag-star-watching","13":"tag-wine-and-dine-maldives"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12979"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21958,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12979\/revisions\/21958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}