Backyard Astronomy - Fun for a Penny
Here's an interesting photo of a neutron star flare. It reminds me that there are amazing things going on elsewhere in the universe. Understanding the sky and astral objects is something few people can say they have a real grasp of. Ask your average person why the sun and moon move along the same path across the sky and see how many people respond with "the plane of the ecliptic". Ask the average person on a clear night how many constellations they can name that don't have "dipper" in their title.
I love the sky and I'm proud to be a proclaimed, self-taught backyard astronomer thanks to this little book: 40 Nights To Knowing The Sky by Fred Schaaf. It's an interactive guide to help enthusiasts along and it's a fun way to spend a few minutes outdoors at night learning a little something about the world around us. Note: Used copies on Amazon are $0.40 each. That's like a penny each night! What the heck can you do for a penny these days?!
posted by Joe @ 10:30 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Probably the coolest moment for me in terms of astronomy, was several years ago in a small field between Greensburg and Campbellsville. Sara and I were using her telescope to check out the moon and this other bright object near it. I think we both knew that it was Jupiter, but it didn't really hit home until we also saw its four largest moons through the telescope. With the naked eye, it simply registered as one bright speck. Looking up at celestial objects is a very humbling experience and a great way to gain some perspective. People should definitely look up more often.
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