∞

Throwing Myself In

Kaleesha
Sometimes it's the unlooked for happenings in life that turn out to be the most impactful; chance meetings that turn us from the future we'd expected or planned for. I sit typing this, not in the cabin I built and have called home for five years, but at a beautiful kitchen table in the home of a family I did not know this time a year ago. My days are no longer in the quiet woods, a solitary life shared with a variety of non-human beings. Now I am surrounded by children. Blue Berry is next to me showing me her latest creation. Royal and Atira are explaining to me how much Royal has grown since October. This morning when I awoke Seth was waiting for me with a deck of UNO cards in hand. Most mornings start with a conversation with Kaleesha followed by coffee and a trip to the barn. To put it simply, my days are now filled with the building of a new relationship with Kaleesha and her seven children.

It gives me pause, to consider how quickly and to what extent life can change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. This past fall I'd purchased my first telescope and that also represented a shift for me as I started spending a lot of time looking at the night sky. I'd already been spending more of my time studying and reflecting upon the Universe and a variety of astronomical subjects. The result was a remarkably happy and blissful me. When one spends one's time focused on the Cosmos it seems that a natural result is a certain kind of calm or bliss that comes from an appreciation of the beauty and perspective in such studies. My turn to the stars was certainly a change for the better.

Making ice cream!
And now this. I find myself in the daily mix of a wonderful family of eight, nine counting myself. This is hardly the sort of thing one plans for. Just as my reflecting upon the billions of galaxies in the observable Universe or the billions of stars in our Milky Way was overwhelming and exhilarating, so too, is my new life here in this home. Daily life here is an adventure filled with moments of sharing and opportunity for learning and growing. For all of us. It's difficult to really know where to begin. Like sitting down to a huge feast. So many possibilities.

Let me start with one of the fundamentals of life on Earth: to raise young. Long ago I made several decisions about my life. One of those was that I would not have children. This, not because I have anything against little humans, but that I believed the Earth already had too many of us and certainly too many of us called "Americans" that are really good at consuming far more than our share. So, I would do my part for the planet and hold back. There were other aspects to this decision but really it is a side point that I don't need to go into too deeply. But, for the record, I think little humans are pretty neat and watching them develop, helping them grow into adult humans is an amazing process, opportunity and responsibility. It's not something I'm afraid of being a part of, I just didn't expect that I'd ever be in a position to do so. But, here I am. Five months ago I had a great friend with seven amazing kids. Now I love that friend and call her partner. As for the kids, I'd never aspire to replace or emulate their biological father. What I will do, what I am doing, every day, is loving them as best I can. Let's explore that.
Farra, Justin and our visiting goose

Love. I've had a tendency to be fairly critical of the society and culture of which I am a part. It's what I do. A part of that has been questioning the idea and, more importantly, the practice of love. What does it mean to love someone? To love a partner or a child? What does parenting look like? What does it mean to be married or in some sort of committed relationship? Of course there is no set answer to these questions, no "right" answer. But I haven't let that stop me from pondering them quite a bit over the years. Now, I recognize that my observations are obviously very limited to a tiny, tiny sample. But in my experience relationships of most kinds do not get the care and attention they need.

The general rule seems to be that parents don't really want to parent. Spouses, partners, or whatever term you want to use, often don't seem to want to do the work of communicating with one another, don't want to cooperate. It's easy to use words like love but how do we manifest it in our day-to-day relationships? How do we put it into practice in our relationships? What's the connection between love and respect in our relationships? How do we love those outside our "family" or is that even possible?

Atira
Let's take that last one. It applies here because I find myself in this home and now the newest addition to this family. But… but… these are not MY kids! How can I love them? What is my role here? Is there a switch I just turn on? How does this love thing work? Many years ago I came across a few different ideas that transformed my notion of love and even my notion of what it means to define "me". Interestingly these ideas played very well into my recent explorations of the Cosmos. The idea, quite simply, is that we're all made of the same stuff. We share and exchange atoms and molecules, we are all a part of this Universe and all return to the same place at death. It's much easier to love one another, to accept one another and to care for one another. We humans have created countless ways to divide ourselves from one another, to compete with and dominate one another.

Getting back to the idea of loving others and in particular those outside our family. It's really not that hard to extend ourselves, to offer any variety of things to those outside of our "circle". Of course there are only 24 hours in a day and most of us have limited resources so I'm not suggesting that we are unlimited in what we can do, just that we can often offer far more to others than we do. Settling into this house it was easy and natural for me to begin caring for the kids. Anyone that knows them might say that yes, of course it was! They are adorable, respectful, loving… its a long list of compliments that are often applied to them by friends and family. It is accurate but visiting with them is not the same as living with them as Kaleesha told me many times. I can safely say that they really are normal human kids that sometimes get upset, cry, throw little fits and more. They're not perfect. They are, however, well loved by their mother who parents them with an attention to detail and a consistency I have never seen before. Ever. And they respond very well to her parenting. They know that they are loved, appreciated, cared for and many other things.

Blue Berry
Loving in this context comes naturally. Kaleesha has worked very hard to create a culture of love in her home. It is evident morning, noon and night at the dinner table, in the garden, on the porch and anywhere else. She is, frankly, relentless in her insistence upon active engagement with her kids and with others that might be around. I've spent these first few weeks talking with her about parenting and have observed her carefully. I don't feel that I'm in a position to do much more than observe but I am constantly learning and engaging. The daily lessons range from actually parenting to learning about the children themselves. Learning their interests, expressions, habits, ways of speaking, their ways of non-verbal communication as well as their patterns of interaction amongst themselves. Jeesh, I'm sounding a bit like an anthropologist in the field with that last bit. Oh well. There are so many little details to appreciate in daily life here.

My life here is just beginning and I have much to learn but I don't doubt that I will. Over the years I've had several people share with me that they thought it a shame that I would not have kids, that they thought I'd make a good parent. Time will tell but I certainly am happy and grateful to be given the chance to be a part of what's going on here.

Next time around (and soon) I hope to share about Kaleesha specifically as well as a post about the similarities in life here at Make-It-Do Farm as compared to life at my cabin on the lake. Check back soon!
∞

An Unexpected Journey

Where to start? Up is down, down is up. In the dark of space there really is no up or down but then, this is not a post about space at all. It's also the first post in over two months. One of my many gaps in posting here but this time with good reason. I've moved and by moving I don't mean to a new blog but a new home and it was very much unexpected. It's not just that I've moved but that my life has taken quite a turn in a direction, onto a path, never looked for or considered.

Several months ago, November to be specific our local librarian referred a family of homeschoolers my way for an astronomy session. He cheerfully told me that they'd recently come out of Christianity and suggested that they were very interested in astronomy. I happily obliged and we arranged to meet one Saturday evening for a look at Jupiter and a few other objects. It went well and from there a friendship began to build. A few chats here and there over the next few months led to my inviting Kaleesha to our Geek Parade, a weekly discussion group. She began attending the discussions in January and as the group began transitioning from general science discussions to a more astronomy focused group she happily followed along. Many of our indoor meetings transitioned to outdoor viewing sessions and she often showed up with two or three of her seven children.

As our face to face conversations got longer so to did our online chats and before long we'd become good friends. Sometime in February or March I started to see evidence of problems in her marriage. Apparently there were many and they were nothing new. In April, another milestone: Saturn. Kaleesha stayed late one night with the kids and we were lost in conversation. We noticed the time and as she was getting ready to go I realized Saturn was up so we had a look. As always, being around to show someone their first view of Saturn is a fantastic experience. We said our good byes. It was a few days later that our conversations grew a bit more intense as her troubles at home increased. It was increasingly obvious that she was moving towards ending her marriage.

A few weeks later her marriage was ended. Not officially, but in the way that matters most. She asked her husband to move out and informed him of her intentions to divorce. He resisted at first but not for long. Suffice it to say, he'd made the choice to leave the marriage long ago so the parting of ways, once she decided, came quickly.

As her friend I was in the thick of it all. The build-up to the separation as well as the days that followed. Then there was a day that she came to me with no kids. We walked and talked and she cried a good bit. She cried on my shoulder and I held her. Then a little later, after she'd calmed and we got back to talking, she looked up and asked: "Can I kiss you." I was surprised but not that surprised. I said yes and a new chapter was started for both of us.

In some circumstances I would be more cautious and would have thought that she needed time after the ending of her marriage before moving on. But in truth her marriage had ended long ago and she was only now getting around to dealing with it. So things began to move fairly quickly as the nature of our friendship changed into something more. I'll stop there and get to writing on the next post. I'm sure you see where this is going.

 

∞

How and why to record your astronomy observations

M84 is the last, in the bottom right of this chain. M86 is the
large, slightly oblong galaxy to the left of M84.
A couple weeks back I finished my Messier List! Or so I thought. Come to find out, in the first month of observing during which time I was relying only on Sky Safari to record my observations, I was not recording descriptions of my observations. At the time I was not yet set on fulfilling the requirements for the official Messier certificate nor is Sky Safari really designed for detailed observations. At some point I made the decision to begin taking down full descriptions at which point I switched over to a FileMaker database to better record observations. So, I'll have to re-observe 80 or so objects!! I was going at quite a pace to get that many in just 40 days or so. To be honest, I'm actually happy to do it because a second round of observations with my improved viewing skills and a better scope really is called for anyway.

In looking through the notes that I did record, starting sometime in November, I realize now what a poor job I was doing. I expect I may one day look back at my current notes and think the very same thing. Here's an example. For M84 my description was simply "A fantastic cluster of galaxies - beautiful." That's not the correct way to do it. For starters, M84 is a single galaxy that is a part of a string of galaxies called the Markarian Chain. It would have been fine for me to describe it as a part of that chain but I should have included a description of the object too. Probably something along the lines of "M84, a lenticular or elliptical galaxy, presents as a spherical halo with a stellar core." That is still a pretty basic description but it would be a step in the right direction. I could have added something about it's relationship to nearby M86, perhaps comparing the two and noting that M84 is more spherical with a slightly brighter core while M86 is slightly less bright with a more oblong shape. This is far more complete and will help me remember what it is I've seen.

As for the how of basic observation and recording, I use an iPad, spread sheet and database. Each observation gets logged into the spreadsheet on the iPad which is later entered into a FileMaker database.  I record the date, time, atmospheric conditions, telescope used and eyepieces used. Lately I've also been recording temperature. Last is a brief 2-4 sentence description of the object and how it might appear in relation to other objects in the eyepiece. The more detail I can record the better I'll remember the observation when I read the description later. Also of great importance is that in recording observations, in looking for detail, we're actively training our eyes and brains to see better. The recording reinforces the observing skills and the increased observing skills, in turn, result in better written notes. One last thought, I also make it a point to at least skim the description of the object in Sky Safari as it often notes what should be visible in an amateur scope. I am also sure to study the image presented as a guide in observation of detail. The photos are far more detailed than what we can expect to see with our eyes but after a bit of practice I've learned to translate the images into more realistic expectations. They present the ideal of what is there.

Amateur astronomy, as I've written before, is a great way to learn some of the basic skills of science. Namely, the importance of consistent and methodical observation/data collection as well as consistent and methodical recording of that data. Amateur astronomers regularly contribute to the collection of data used in the field and with citizen science projects such as Zooniverse they are also helping to analyze the data collected by the many space telescopes currently collecting vast amounts of data. Whether they are finding NEOs (near earth objects such as asteroids) or finding exoplanets, amateurs are contributing to the science. It requires a certain level of observational skill, a willingness to increase that skill, and time. That's about it. Well, actually, it can be quite a bit more complicated and the time involved can be great if one is serious about certain areas such as the search for NEOs which requires not just detailed observation but consistent and methodical photography.

One last point. For anyone getting involved in amateur astronomy there is the side benefit of not only paying closer attention to what is being done by scientists in the field but also a very real-world personal benefit of a much deeper, more meaningful understanding of how science works generally and just how complicated the work really is. I can say that in just a few months my level of understanding, though still pretty basic, has been greatly increased and my appreciation for the work of NASA and others is now on an entirely different level.

Dark Skies to you!


∞

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids!

Winter is passing and I’m certainly looking forward to the spring!

I’ve had some great viewing sessions since my last post just over a month ago. Mostly galaxies on my Herschel 400 list. I’ve now viewed 329 out of 400. On the Messier list I’ve got 107 out of 110. I’ll probably get the Messier completed sometime in April and the Herschel 400 sometime in May or June. I’ve just got to wait for the objects to become available in the sky again! Next on the list of observation programs: The Herschel II and the Lunar I program. There are 40+ programs offered by the Astro League. I’m looking forward to them!

Before I get into some of the Herschel highlights, I’ll note two very cool observations. Most recently, last night in fact, I got a look at Comet Panstarrs C/2011 L4. It is currently viewable just after sunset. I caught it at about 7:40pm halfway between the moon and horizon. Just barely visible to the naked eye, it is best viewed with binoculars or telescope. I had a very nice view of it with the 8" dobsonian. With the 30mm eyepiece the tail is nicely defined and the comet core is very bright!  Photo was taken at ISO 800 at 85mm, about a 2 second exposure. Comet is in the bottom right. The moon was nicely lit with reflected light from the earth called earthshine. As of now the comet has completed its orbit around the sun and is moving back towards us and into its tail.

The second observation was that of the asteroid, 2012 DA14, that made a close flyby of the Earth on February 15th which by chance, was the day that a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. My observation of 2012 DA14 didn’t last long thanks to the clouds but I had it for five minutes or so… As expected, it looked like a faint, small, slightly fuzzy star slowly moving through the eyepiece. Pretty neat to observe it.

I’ve looked at more than 50 galaxies and clusters since my last post so I’m just choosing a couple to mention here. The first I observed on February 13,  the irregular galaxy NGC 4449, in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is located about 12 million light-years away, part of the M94 Group (the Canes Venatici I Group), a galaxy group relatively close to the Local Group containing the Milky Way. A very interesting object to observe because of it’s shape and the fact that some detail is visible in the eyepiece. Obviously, no color but some mottling is visible.



Another galaxy, viewed on  March 7, was NGC 4565, The Needle Galaxy and this was quite stunning. Similar to NGC 4710, in that it is an edge-on spiral galaxy. It is about 30 to 50 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is a stunning object in the eye piece. What makes it nice to look at is that dark lane of light absorbing molecules that extends across it, blocking the light. A very nice detail that can also be observed in the Somrero galaxy, NGC 4594. The Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait has an excellent write up about on edge galaxies.

The Eastern Ozarks Astronomical Society continues to meet regularly to observe and we have also begun our efforts at community outreach. Hoping to have more to report on that soon. One last thing I’ll add and that is that there is so much happening right now in the field of astronomy. Between the Mars Curiosity discoveries as well as the many other discoveries concerning the Higgs Boson, exoplanets, it’s hard to keep up with it all!

∞

Weeping to the Cosmos

Moon photographed with iPhone and Z12, February 5, 2013

We had a fantastic night last night in our group observation for the Eastern Ozarks Astronomical Society. It was the usual crew plus a couple of newbies. Of course Russ and Karen were there. Kaleesha made it back for her third time at the scope and with her Blueberry and Seth. It was Seth’s first time and he took to the scope very naturally. Our new Farmington astronomer friend Mark made it for the second night in a row and though we were clouded out first night, last night we had perfect skies from sunset till sunrise. It’s always nice having new folks in attendance. We discussed open clusters, the use of the word nebula in the initial naming of galaxies which, at the time, were not known to be galaxies! We also went over star hopping with the 8" dobsonian with a red dot finder and folks got a chance to find a few Messier objects. Lots of fun! We also saw a very nice green fireball!

After most folks left Russ and I had an excellent conversation about the scientific method and the importance of skepticism. After that I took a brief dinner break and then set back out for some solo galaxy observations from my Herschel 400 list.

After about six galaxies I took a break to just look up with my eyes and the beauty of it was just too much. I suppose all there is to say about it is that I cried and I kept on crying. I thought I’d finished and then I cried more. No doubt, a part of what was going on was that I’d set a particular song on repeat, The Cinematic Orchestra’s song To Build a Home and I’m fairly certain that it was the song, combined with what I was seeing, that sent me over the edge. To be honest there have been several such moments  during my nights at the scope over the past few months. I’m usually able to control it but sometimes it is good to just let go and accept it.

Saturn photographed with iPhone and Z12, February 5, 2013

It’s not the first time I’ve had the sensation, a sort of heightened alertness and emotional intensity that just comes in like a slow motion wave. Usually it’s just the result of really being in the moment, be it under the night sky looking at stars or standing in the cold watching my breath seemingly frozen midair or any number of other similar moments. It is as if time slows down and in those moments I am not just seeing what’s around me,  but being in what is around me. To put it simply, it seems like a convergence of emotion and intellect that results in something not quite our normal day-to-day experience, something overwhelming.

I’m guessing most people have these moments at various times in their lives… I certainly hope so. I’ve mentioned to a few folks recently that I feel like, more often than not, I exist in this sort of low level bliss. In part I think it comes with this kind of simple life. I own so little and live in such a small space that my life is not about owning but about being, about experiencing… searching and exploring. Our lives are short and so it makes sense to me to live it as my life but to do so in constant connection and ever deepening relation. I made a choice to never have children so being connected means something different for me. It’s frogs and stars, geese and planets, friends and family, it is belonging to life and to the earth and to this cosmos. When you belong you are free.

∞

Eastern Ozarks Astronomical Society Updates!

I'm very happy to report that our work towards building an organizational advocate for astronomy and science in Madison County is coming along! Lots of tidbits to report. We've had a good bit of support on our Facebook discussion group as well as the new community group set-up on FB. You can never have enough Facebook pages can you? Actually, I'm pretty sure you can. Frances Madeson was kind enough to feature me on her blog in a post aptly titled, Throw me to the Coyotes. I know, that does not sound astronomy related but I assure you, it is. I'm honored to have been interviewed by her.

EOAS member Corey Warner of Studio 222 designed a fantastic logo for us and Karen Whitener was interviewed, for J-98, for one of the regional radio stations which will be airing the spot several times so that will help get the word out as well. Thanks to Scott Kubala of J-98 for taking an interest in our project. I also set up the Eastern Ozarks Astronomical Society website to seal the deal!

We've got many evenings ahead of us and I expect that they will each be filled with the joy that seems to come with the shared exploration of the universe. Dark Skies!
∞

Exploring the Universe Together

NGC 4594, the Sombrero Galaxy
Recently Kaleesha put up a pretty fantastic couple of posts. The first, Creation, the Big Bang or Both? is one in which she shares her current attempts to better understand the Big Bang. It has been very interesting to read about her intellectual journey since her rejection of Christianity several months ago and inspiring to see her push on in her search for truth. In her second post, Astronomical Scattershooting (what a great phrase, eh?), she provided a wonderful description of her current explorations of the universe as an amateur astronomer. My  post here is something that grew out of my initial comment to her on her blog.

What I enjoy most about being an amateur astronomer is learning about the Universe through a blended process of observing distant objects  and then reading about those objects in the Wikipedia which is usually supplemented by a related episode of Astronomy Cast.  It adds so much to my life to be able to look up through a telescope and view the Sombrero galaxy, to really take it in and ponder its existence.  I wonder, who may be there and are they looking out in this direction?  In my last viewing of that galaxy I spent nearly 30 minutes allowing my eyes to adjust and taking the time to notice the details. After a time of looking through the scope and seeing so many beautiful objects, supplemented by the research, I can say that now when I look up with my naked eyes I see it all very differently. There is now a deeper awareness brewing in me, fermenting knowledge, of the details and I more fully appreciate what I see and the emotions I experience as a result.

But of course we don't explore this Universe alone do we? At the forefront we have a global community of scientists cooperating and collaborating and challenging one another through this amazing process we call science. This open community, based on finding the mistakes and correcting the theories and adding in the details as they are discovered with newer, better instrumentation, sets the example for how we can better get at the truth. It is a never ending process, an ongoing adventure and exploration of our Universe and one we can all take part in. Those of us that are not scientists have a role as well.

As citizens of our planet it is our responsibility to make our own effort to learn and to explore. It is our responsibility to reach out, to share and engage with one another and with the knowledge being produced. The internet is allowing for increased communication between the public and the scientific community. For those interested in astronomy and related fields there are the sites I mentioned a couple days ago: CosmoQuest,  the Planetary Society and the Citizen Science Alliance, all of which have at their core mission an attempt to engage the public and even to create a space for them to participate. Most of these groups are also involved with Google+ hangouts which allow for real-time video conferencing with the scientists doing the work. If you can't be around to watch live they are all archived on YouTube. For example, here's the Planetary Society's Channel.

There is an essential trait that we need to borrow from the scientific community before we can move forward: a willingness to embrace our mistakes and our ignorance. It seems to have become a common cultural trait to fear our fallibility but such fear holds us back from moving forward as individuals as well as collectively. Not so in the scientific community which is based upon a willingness to fail and a recognition that with failure comes knowledge and a better understanding of the Universe. It is in the moment of embracing failure, mistakes, and ignorance that we grow.

It is perhaps one of the great failings of the past 60 years that we have come to think of ourselves as alone and with that we have come to feel isolated, alienated. In that kind of world it is easy to become fearful and when we live in a culture of fear and insecurity we tend to avoid failure. We avoid growth out of fear of failure and we avoid accepting our mistakes because to do so is to admit we are fallible.

Fortunately, for us, the Universe that we actually inhabit is not one in which we can ever be alone or alienated, at least not physically. We might come to feel separated and alone in our minds due to our perception and our culture, but as far as the reality of the physical Universe that we live in, we are all very much connected:
When I look up at the night sky and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe, we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than most of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up — many people feel small, because they’re small, the Universe is big — but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity — that’s really what you want in life. You want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant. You want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings on and activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.” - Neil DeGrasse Tyson
It is natural for us to share what we know or think we know and it is natural for us to be curious. It is these natural desires, coupled with critical thought and the scientific method that we can lift ourselves up and, just as importantly, lift one another up. We have great challenges before us but in teaching one another and encouraging one another we can do remarkable things. In our cooperation we have the opportunity to co-create something beautiful: each other.

We truly are in this together. There is no such thing as alone in this Universe and the sooner we remember that, feel that, and understand that, the sooner we can get on being whole again. We are but one species sharing this planet sharing this cosmos. I did not know Kaleesha or her husband or children until just a couple months ago and am thankful to Bill (another of our community and local librarian) for sending them my way when they indicated interest in astronomy. As a result they have become an important part of our little outpost of science advocates in this out of the way rural community. As long as I'm expressing my appreciation I think I'll also mention how happy I am to have connected to Frances, Russ, Angie and Karen, all humans with which I am grateful to have met since moving to this little corner of the Universe and who have shared the exploration with me.

∞

Eastern Ozarks Astronomy Society First Night!

A brief report on what was happening in Madison County Missouri last night. It was one of those nights that just seemed... perfect. This was our first group viewing session since forming the Eastern Ozarks Astronomy Society which kinda makes it seem official and made it seem something of an occasion.

My friend Russ Middleton got some great photos and one of our new members, Kaleesha, and her girls had a look at a nice variety of nebulae: Orion, Pac Man, Eskimo and M1, the Crab. We also took a look at Jupiter and ended the group viewing with Bode's Nebulae, M81 and M82. Lots of great astronomy talk about the Cosmic Microwave Background, the Bing Bang, and how astronomers (and science in general) come to know things through the scientific method.

After everyone left I warmed up inside for a couple hours and went back out after the moon set. I logged 13 galaxies, a planetary nebula and a globular cluster, M68. Five of those were Messiers bringing my total on that list to 103, just 7 more to go! Messier 104, the Sombrero, was really impressive and with averted vision I was able to make out the dust lane. M68, was really beautiful with many of its stars nicely resolved. I also added nine more to my list of viewed Herschels, bringing me up to 241 out of 400.

The last object viewed from 4:20-5am was Saturn. This was, by far, the best view of the planet I've ever had in my life and honestly, I think I could have cried but it would have ruined the view so I didn't let it happen. It was so otherworldly, and yet, so familiar an image. Viewing Saturn is always special but when it is so perfectly clear, it can be much more.

I saw at least 5 of the moons as well as the Cassini Division in the rings, a first for me. Also saw clouds/color bands, another first for me. Sometimes language fails me.

I can think of no better way to spend a night than this.
∞

Advocating for Science Literacy and Reason

I’ve always been a big fan of getting at the truth of things no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable we may be getting there. It’s something I’ve insisted on and many times in my life it has caused me a good bit of trouble. That said, I don’t feel I have much choice in the matter. It’s the activist and the radical in me. It is, perhaps sad, that insisting on the truth might, today, be considered radical. I suppose when you look at the definition of “radical” it does speak to the search for truth. According to the New Oxford American dictionary, radical is: “relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.”

In recent months my small town life got a bit rough in terms of some of my relationships. Specifically, those relationships which I’d developed with local conservatives. It was my intent to cross lines, to try to relate to my fellow humans as humans regardless of their political or cultural leanings. As a result, I’d gotten to be “friends” with quite a few folks that I tended not to agree with on many things. They knew and I knew those differences existed but we made a go of it. But eventually those differences presented themselves front and center and some of those friendships ended in turmoil.

What I am coming face to face with in rural Missouri is the hard truth that many rural residents are not comfortable with having their beliefs challenged, most notably their religious beliefs. Some are able to co-exist with science and accept the possibility that their belief in a higher power can be retained along with an acceptance of science. Others don’t seem able to bridge the gap but tend to remain neutral. Some are resistant to the point of hostility.

I have pondering for some time what seems to be an innate tension that exists between religion and science. This is a very real and very serious problem and manifests itself in important and basic elements of science education, namely the teaching of the Big Bang, evolution and climate science. Creationism and intelligent design (a version of creationism promoted by the Discovery Institute) are not, in any way, valid alternatives to evolution. Nor does the fundamentalist Christian community provide any kind of explanation or description of the origin of the universe and yet, they have established an influence in public education on this as well. While the U.S. has downgraded and simplified math and science education other countries are making great progress.

My intent here is to explicitly advocate for science literacy and reason. Evolution, the Big Bang, climate change are all areas of science that have been, to a great degree, settled. While there are many in this and other rural areas who do understand the importance of science as a method for understanding the world and as a basis of progress, there are many who do not. A part of the problem comes from the churches, from organized religion who are crossing lines in terms of social and political advocacy which cannot be tolerated. Another part of the problem is the confused and sloppy thinking that comes from religious belief. I would argue that religion, as it is based on faith, actually requires a level of rejection of reason and the scientific method. At the core, science is the search for truth while religion is advocacy of a belief in something that can never be shown to be true.

I’d like to explicitly support a few organizations that are doing important work that you can support and in some cases actually participate in via citizen science projects.

CosmoQuest is one of my favorites. From their website:

Our goal is to create a community of people bent on together advancing our understanding of the universe; a community of people who are participating in doing science, who can explain why what they do matters, and what questions they are helping to answer. We want to create a community, and here is where we invite all of you to be a part of what we’re doing.
There are lots of ways to get involved: You can contribute to science, take a class, join a conversation, or just help us spread the word by sharing about us on social media sites.
Like every community, we are constantly changing to reflect our members. This website will constantly be growing and adding new features. Overtime, we’re going to bring together all the components of a research learning environment (aka grad school), from content in the form of classes, resources, and a blog, to research in the form of citizen science, to social engagement through a forum, social media, and real world activities.
Another is the National Center for Science Education.
The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents, and concerned citizens working to keep evolution and climate science in public school science education. We educate the press and public about the scientific and educational aspects of controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution and climate change, and supply needed information and advice to defend good science education at local, state, and national levels. Our 4500 members are scientists, teachers, clergy, and citizens with diverse religious and political affiliations.

Last but not least is The Planetary Society, co-founded by Carl Sagan and currently headed by Bill Nigh.
The Planetary Society sponsors projects that will seed innovative space technologies, nurture creative young minds, and be a vital advocate for our future in space.

Why we do it
Our Mission is to create a better future by exploring other worlds and understanding our own.

Current projects include:
  • Fighting for funding in Congress
  • Developing new technologies to deflect asteroids
  • Hunting for Earth-like planets
  • Searching for intelligent life in the Universe
  • Creating a global network of EarthDials
  • And flying our very own solar sail spacecraft, Lightsail-1.

Interested in getting your hands dirty with some citizen science? Of course you are! Check out the Zooniverse which is a project of the Citizen Science Alliance.
Origin
The Zooniverse began with a single project, Galaxy Zoo , which was launched in July 2007. The Galaxy Zoo team had expected a fairly quiet life, but were overwhelmed and overawed by the response to the project. Once they’d recovered from their server buckling under the strain, they set about planning the future!

Galaxy Zoo was important because not only was it incredibly popular, but it produced many unique scientific results, ranging from individual, serendipitous discoveries to those using classifications that depend on the input of everyone who’s visited the site. This commitment to producing real research - so that you know that we’re not wasting your time - is at the heart of everything we do.

Real Science Online
The Zooniverse and the suite of projects it contains is produced, maintained and developed by the Citizen Science Alliance. The member institutions of the CSA work with many academic and other partners around the world to produce projects that use the efforts and ability of volunteers to help scientists and researchers deal with the flood of data that confronts them.
My favorite thus far is Planet Hunters which I have participating in. It’s very easy and exciting to know that I’m actually doing some of the preliminary work required to find planets around distant stars.

Of course there are others but these are the ones I wanted to mention today.

∞

Second night with the Z12

Little Dumbbell
My planned highlight for Sunday night's chilly adventure was the Crab Nebula, but, though it was nice, it was not much improved over what is visible with the 8".  The highlight of the night, as it turned out, was the Little Dumbbell Nebula. While it is less impressive in what it is (when compared to the Crab), it was a bit more interesting to look at! While the Crab presents a fairly large object in the eyepiece it is mostly just a nebulous cloud with no structure. I have read that with scopes of 16" structure and detail begin to emerge but at 12" it's still just a gas cloud. The Little Dumbbell presents a nice object with a very interesting, much more compact and defined shape.

There were several nice open clusters in the constellation Monocerus and a whole slew of galaxies in Leo. 14 objects knocked off my Herschel 400 list plus just for fun looks at Andromeda, Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. Almost 7 hours, 21 degrees when I came inside and started a fire at 2am! A great night!
∞

12" Zhumell Dobsonian Review and First Light

Pardon the rope, the Telrad was not permanently
attached at the time fo the photo!
This post will serve both as a review of the new telescope as well as a report on the previous two nights of viewing with it. So, yes, unexpectedly I purchased a new scope. I'd planned to purchase a 16" this spring/summer but upon seeing the current prices of the Z12 I decided that, based on my budget, spending $750 now would be much wiser than $2,000 later. As much as I would appreciate the added light gathering of the 16" the 12" is a substantial upgrade from the 8" and should be enough for now.

The scope arrived in good shape in undamaged boxes. I had it put together in an hour and that was taking my time. This is a huge scope for one person to safely maneuver. I'll be happy to have it in a permanent location with shed that will get rolled back during use.

Collimation before first light was a bit tricky. I'd read that the laser collimators that ship with these are out of collimation themselves and are of no use until they are collimated first. I set about doing that but adjustment screws are of a size (allen wrench) I do not have. Luckily my observing buddy Russ had his. Getting the secondary aligned was easy enough. The primary mirror, on the other hand, not so much. It seems that the tension springs in the adjustment bolts are pretty weak. As I turned them this way and that it became clear that I was going to have a hard time getting the mirror where it needed to go. Then it occurred to me that the lock screws, while not intended for adjustment, often do effect the mirror when tightened down so I tried turning a them a bit and presto, I had a collimated mirror.

This is a big mirror that will often need cooling down which is why they include a fan. I have not used it yet because I had it out in the shade on the first day and in the well house the second day so it was cooled off and ready to go at dark.

A few words about the hardware on the scope before I delve into what I saw with it. Everything seems very solid.  I've not used the finder scope yet because I ordered a Telrad and have used it both nights. That said, the finder seems decent in terms of construction. The big plastic cover for the OTA (optical tube assembly) is a pretty loose fit so I'll have to do something about that. Of course the stand is particle board like all of these mass production units but seems solid enough for now. Movement of the scope is very smooth and it is very well balanced. I WILL upgrade to a home built birch plywood stand at some point. All in all, the scope seems very well built. I've encountered no problem other than the above mentioned weak tension springs on the collimation screws that I'll replace and the loose cover.  As you can see from the photo, this is a huge scope and not something I want to move much.

The dual-speed Crayford focuser is very smooth and a nice upgrade over the focuser on the XT8. Being able to fine tune the adjustment is a very nice benefit of this focuser.

First Light for the new scope was Friday night and it was perfectly clear for it! My intent was to spend some time just getting familiar with the bigger scope and compare some of the views with what I've seen with the 8". There's no doubt it is impressive.

First object viewed was Jupiter and it looked great. The main difference, given good seeing conditions, is a sharper image. The 8" struggles with the 5mm EP but provides a fairly crisp image with really good seeing conditions. The 12" provides an even sharper image with a few more details  in the cloud bands and also seems to have a little more tolerance of poorer conditions though I won't know for certain until I've used it more. Of course the same eyepieces also provide higher magnification due to the different focal length. The 5mm needed for detailed planetary viewing gives me 240x in 8", but 300x in the 12". So, not only is it a sharper image but it is also more magnified. Even better, I could, push it to even higher magnification if given the right eyepieces/barlow whereas 240x is the upward limit for the 8".

Next up for comparison was M31, M32, M110: The Andromeda Galaxy and it's satellites. This is a big and very bright object so what I was hoping for was some detail. With the 8" I get a big and beautiful view but no detail. With the 12" I am seeing some structure. It is especially noticeable with the 11mm Explore Scientific 82 degree (provides a wider field of view than standard lenses). At that level of magnification I am seeing a smaller picture but I do see the dust lanes which I don't think I'm seeing at lower magnification. In all the EPs the 3 objects are beautiful and the more faint M110 is much more defined and easy to see.

Next on the list, the Orion Nebula which never disappoints! In the 8" the nebula presents a fantastic view and in the 12" it is a fantastic view. More detail is visible and some of the dark areas are more pronounced. I'll have to spend more time observing before I can offer any more detail.

Now we are getting closer to those things which I expect will really benefit from the 12". Specifically, globular clusters, faint nebula, and distant galaxies. A great example would be something like NGC 2158 which is very rich open cluster in Gemini which almost seems like a loose globular cluster. In the 8" it presents as a nebulous sphere with little to no resolution of stars. In my first attempt to see it back in September I failed with the 8" due to deteriorating atmospheric conditions. The second attempt the next night was a success but the view provided little detail. By contrast, the 12" presented  this cluster as very easy to see and with much greater detail as many stars are resolved. Through the 12" this cluster of stars is now exactly that, a cluster of stars and not just a nebulous sphere.

My next target was the Pacman Nebula, NGC 281 in Cassiopeia. With the 8"  I had no success finding it even with the NPB nebula filter. With the 12" it was easy to see.

After that, a trip to Bode's Nebulae, two easily visible galaxies in Ursa Major. These are easy to find, I was hoping for greater detail. Unfortunately I didn't get much but more than likely that was due to my not taking the time. The night was getting on and I wanted to get some of my remaining Herschel 400 so this is by no means conclusive. I fully suspect that when I revisit and spend more time on these I will indeed see some new structure.

Last on the list were my remaining Herschel 400 galaxies in Ursa Major, 11 to 12 magnitude. While the 8" would make these visible they are often incredibly faint. With the 12" they were easy to find with little to no effort... it was so easy I almost felt like I was cheating! They don't provide much in the way of detail but certainly more than is visible with the smaller scope. I'm sure I'll have more to say about viewing these fainter objects as I spend more time with the Z12. Suffice it to say that the light gathering capability of a 12" scope is fantastic.

I'd intended to offer up the second night's viewing but I'm going to save it for the next post as this is getting quite long! Stay tuned.


∞

Just to let you know

A couple posts today… this first is just to let folks know that I WILL get back to permaculture/homestead related writing at some point! But the simple reality is that in the winter there’s not a whole lot going on in that area. At the moment my day-to-day routine consists primarily of reading, occasional freelance web work, starting fires and keeping them going, tending to critters, and getting the telescope out on clear nights. As we get closer to spring I’ll update a bit on the garden and food forest plans.

∞

A Cold and Snowy Night!

A 13 second exposure of my scope and all the snow
nicely illuminated by the moon! Note Sirius in the
lower left corner of the image. Wish I'd gone just a bit
higher to fit Orion in the image!
We've been clouded over since the December 14th, the night of the fantastic Geminid shower so when it cleared late yesterday afternoon I decided to get the scope out. My plan was to try to get an as much time as possible before the moon came up which I did. It was about 25 degrees when I settled in at 6:20pm with a plan to observe 6-8 open star clusters in the Herschel 400.

The viewing was perfect! As cold as it was I was toasty warm with 4 layers on my legs, 2 pair of socks, 4 layers on top and my mittens and ski mask. I was able to get in a little more than an hour looking for my clusters and then spent another half hour looking at Jupiter. NGC 7209  and NGC 6940, both open clusters, were quite beautiful.

As beautiful as the views through the scope were what was most enjoyable was the snow covered landscape all around me. Even before the moon was up there was enough light reflected around by the snow that I could enjoy the view. The higher the moon got the better the scene became! The night was so calm and serene.
∞

Buying a Telescope

My scope, chair and work stand with EP case.
I came across a post on the Space Community on Google+ recently asking advice about buying telescopes. As I wrote a reply that seemed to get longer and longer I realized I was writing a good bit and might as well make it a post here as well.

This is for a budget of about $600.  For most beginners I would suggest going with an 8" dobsonian that will run about $360 If you are at all interested in looking at fainter objects such as the Messier or Herschel objects this would be the minimum size.  Many of the faint objects would be visible in a 6"  but would be very difficult. There's nothing wrong with a challenge of course but even with the 8" scope that I have they are difficult. Most of these are distant galaxies and planetary nebula and while it is expected that they would be very faint and small I think 8" is the cutoff for seeing something that is actually worth seeing. My scope, purchased in September 2012 from Orion,  is the XT8.

A note about mounts. Dobsonians are ground mounted newtonian reflector scopes that rely on a mirror for light gathering. They are the best choice for maximum light gathering for low cost. You can get a tripod mounted reflector but in my opinion the Dobsonian is the easiest to use and probably the most sturdy choice if you've got kids that will be viewing. When stored in the vertical position they don't take much space at all, about the diameter of a chair.  I would avoid the tripod mounted refractor scopes often sold in department stores. They use an optical lens for light gathering and will be much smaller in diameter giving you much less light gathering.

Something to consider at this point is your local light pollution. If you are in a city or suburbia with lots of light pollution you'll be much more limited in what you can see. In this case the fainter objects will be more difficult to find.  If you are more distant from light pollution, say 10 minutes outside of a small town or 45 minutes outside of a large city, you probably have darker skies and in that case a larger scope would be worth the money. Here's a map of light pollution in the U.S. You can find a larger version via Bing or Google. Some folks that are in cities buy a scope knowing that they will travel to a dark sky site every so often.

If your primary interest is our solar system's planets and the moon the 6" will serve you well. That said, you only really get to see any detail with Jupiter and Saturn. The other planets only resolve to tiny disks/dots and won't have much detail. In my opinion you'll have a much longer term interest in amateur astronomy if you go with an 8" and learn to find and appreciate the faint objects in the lists above. Learning to star hop is kind of like reading the stars and for me has been a very gratifying, fun and interesting process.

Eye pieces and filters sitting on heating pad in case
One final note, depending on your level of interest you may want to skip the eye piece kits that are sold in the fancy padded cases. They look cool and are a decent bargain ($160) but those eyepieces are not the best. If you expect that you're telescope time will just be occasional, say a couple times a month these would be fine. If you think you'll be more serious about it you'd much better off buying fewer but more expensive wide view eye pieces that let you see much more. These eye pieces range from $100-$250 each. I've got 3 and will be getting one more. 4 of these provide a good range of magnification.

To give you an idea of useful magnifications here's what I've got: 26mm (good for large objects such as Orion's Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy); 18mm which gives you a nice step up to a more magnified view of objects; 11mm (my next purchase) is the next step up for a great view of Saturn and Jupiter as well as some of the fainter galaxies; 5mm gives the most magnified view of Jupiter and Saturn. The problem with higher magnification EPs such as the 5mm  is that you have to have the very best atmospheric conditions to use it. Many nights it won't be useful at all and will give you a very fuzzy image. There will be many nights though that have good seeing conditions and on those nights you'll get a fantastic view of the clouds of Jupiter and rings of Saturn. Also, it is with these higher magnification EPs where the wider field of view becomes much more useful because it makes finding the object easier and keeps it in the field of view longer.

Home made workstation. The case lid is held in place
by several screws on the top tier. Second heating pad
is put there with laptop on top for recording observations
directly into database.
My suggestion for eyepieces that are better than the kit lenses but not too outrageous in price are the Explore Scientific 82 degree series or the Orion Q70 series. You'll be spending more on these than the kit EPs but your time at the scope will be more enjoyable. For a case, I'm using a $4 rubber/plastic storage case from dollar general. It has a lid that snaps firmly in place and I put an $11 heating pad in the bottom which not only provides a bit of cushion but also keeps the EPs warm and dry on nights with high humidity and dew can cause problems. A second heating pad is put on top of lenses for added cushion during transport then used on lid to keep laptop warm on cold nights.

Just a quick edit to address an important point brought up by @Bas Waanders over on Google+ which is that what you'll see through an amateur telescope is a far, far cry from the images you see on the internet!! The human eye has a very limited ability to gather color  in such low light so most of what you will see is gray scale. You won't get nearly the detail and most galaxies, especially the very distant ones are just faint smudges. With a lot of practice your eyes do become much better at seeing some of the detail but don't buy a scope expecting the epic detail and color via the images you've seen as they are many stacked 30 second exposures. That said, some objects are truly fantastic in a small scope, for example the Orion Nebula is stunning even without the color. Also, the Eagle and Lagoon Nebulas and quite a few of the globular clusters. Andromeda looks pretty good too though does not have the color or detail from images.
∞
A comparison of sea ice extent before the melting period began in 
March 2012 and after the melting period ended in September 2012. 
Purple line in these photos represents 1979-2000 median for 
Arctic ice. Image Credit: NOAA
The NOAA recently released its 2012 Arctic Report. I can't recall how many times I've gotten into a conversation with someone who, in the most blasé sort of way, always has this sort of thing to say: "Oh, the Earth will just get rid of us" or "Yes, it is terrible but the Earth will go on even if we don't". Fuck you. It's not about the earth going on you dimwit. Of course, yes, it will go on in one way or another. Never mind the fact that more often than not these folks I'm referring to actually have children and possibly grand children... but there are these little details that they seem incapable of thinking about. It's as though they just can't be bothered... yes dear, it'll all just come out in the wash. Well fuck you again.

From the post at Earth Sky:
At the end of each year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) releases a report card on the state of the Arctic. In 2012, NOAA reports record low levels of sea ice extent, lower than we’ve seen before since the satellite era began in 1979. Plus, in June 2012, the Arctic experienced record low snow extent across the region. Greenland saw extreme melting during the summer of 2012, and the warmer temperatures and decreasing ice provided massive phytoplankton to grow. NOAA scientists said that air temperatures were on a par with the (relatively high) temperatures of the last decade, leading to, among other things, an increase in the length of the growing season along with tundra greenness in the Arctic. Climate models suggest that, in a warming climate, high latitudes such as the Arctic will be affected first, and so it seems to be. The 2012 Arctic Report Card is a peer-reviewed report that consists of 141 authors from 15 countries. If you ask a scientist who travels periodically to the Arctic or across Greenland, he or she will tell you that the landscape there is changing dramatically from year to year.
Arctic fox at Svalbard, Norway. In Fennoscandia,
fewer than 200 individuals are estimated to remain. 
What's being lost, due to our insistence on the casual use of cars and lawn mowers and over consumption and homes kept at 72, are actual SPECIES. Other species that we share the planet with that should exist. But WE just can't be bothered to stop and consider how it is that WE are destroying this fragile planet that hosts such amazing diversity.

We, as a species, are nothing short of criminal.
∞

Geminids and Galaxies

I've not had a chance to report on last Thursday night's meteor shower and my extended time under the stars! There's a patch of sky I explored, in a constellation called Coma Berenices that is full of galaxies. One after another. The highlight of the night was NGC 4490, the Cocoon Galaxies in Canes Venatici. They are a pair of galaxies about 45 million light years away that have been in interaction and have distorted one another.

During the course of the evening I looked at 17 galaxies, 1 globular cluster and easily 100+ meteors. I was looking through the scope most of the night but in the short times I was looking up with just my eyes I would easily see 1-3 a minute sometimes more or less, depending on the time of night.

All together, about 9 hours looking up :)
∞

Finding Bliss in the Universe

Between the moon at the first of the month and the nearly constant cloudiness it’s been hard getting any kind of extended time at the scope. Last night was fantastic and it looks like the forecast for the next 2-3 nights looks great.

M81 and M82
Knowing I had the whole night I wasn’t rushed to get out right at dark. I waited till 6:30 and got out and set-up just before 7 when the sky was really dark. The seeing was fantastic and the Milky Way was such a welcome sight. It’s funny just how much I have learned to love and appreciate a clear night sky in just three months. Of course, the telescope is a big part of this growing appreciation and understanding, but just standing under the stars is an experience of deep connection. As has often been said and I am often repeating these days: We are made of star dust. We really are. The iron in our blood, the carbon in and around us, all of it, from ancient stars long gone. A fundamental truth of great beauty.

I’ve always, as long as I can remember, taken note of and appreciated the stars in the night sky. Today, at 43, I can say that I truly understand who and what I am in this universe. Well, I more fully understand. True understanding is just the goal of the process. To be a living being on this beautiful planet, just one of many trillions of planets in the universe, is so amazing. I sometimes feel a bit guilty that I am able to experience such bliss in my life. Wether walking in the woods or looking up at the stars, leading such a simple life and being a part of the greater universe, I can ask for nothing more.

And about last night’s viewing session? I was happy to view thirteen more objects in the Herschel 400 as well as a swing by the two galaxies known as Bode’s Nebulae and a quick view of the Double Cluster in Perseus! Last but not least, Jupiter. I probably spent twenty minutes looking at Jupiter and I have to say, it never get’s old. Each time, each moment, is breath taking. On a good night such as last night, the 5mm EP is fantastic for viewing this beautiful neighbor of ours. The cloud bands and the GRS are crisp and easy to see. Wonderful.

As I spend more time outside at night I am consistently seeing more with my naked eyes, especially on nights with good seeing. Last night, at various points between looking through the EP, I really made it a point to enjoy the naked eye view. In particular, I spent some time gathering up the faint stars and the fuzzy Messier objects. For example, the Beehive Cluster in Cancer was so easy and obvious to see. In fact, I wasn’t even looking for it but was just scanning the sky and it stood out to me. The Double Cluster in Perseus was also an obvious and easy to see object with the naked eye.

A special note about Bode’s Nebulae: What a sight to see them together in one eyepiece! At 11 million light years distance, M81 offers a face view and is interacting with M82 which is a prototype starburst galaxy presenting an elongated view. After weeks of focusing mostly on small and faint galaxies and clusters, anytime I come upon the more easily seen objects I always find myself surprised at just how beautiful and defined they are! These two are a great example of that. I have no doubt that it is just the slow improvement of my viewing skills and my greater awareness of the range of faint objects.

∞

Fire in the sky

Image of NGC 7331 and companions
My viewing session for Tuesday 12/4 started off with some fireworks. Really. I'd just gotten set-up and and viewed a couple of objects and was entering the observations when, at about 9:30pm,  there was a meteor so bright that I saw it while facing the opposite direction. I was looking at the computer screen facing east and suddenly everything around me was lit up as if by a full moon. It was so bright it actually spooked me. Looked up behind me and there it was... I caught the last 40% of the burn (it was pretty slow moving). The lingering trail was in the sky for about 40 seconds and was the most substantial trail I've ever seen.  You can see the reports here. What a fantastic way to start off the night!

As far as viewed objects, a few open clusters that were not all that impressive (in part due to the poor atmospheric conditions) as well as three galaxies that were viewed first and were much better thanks to better conditions earlier  on. It is amazing how quickly the viewing can change based on humidity, light clouds not often obvious as clouds but there nonetheless.

The best view of the night was NGC 7331. While I was not able to see the small companion galaxies  NGC 7331 was very nice.

Also, a note about the images I use. They're not mine and are almost aways taken from Wikipedia. Though they often seem unreal, like paintings, they are not. They are actual images though in almost all cases there is a good amount of processing as is required by astrophotography. Multiple exposures are sometimes layered, color is added, enhanced or balanced, etc.
∞

Dancing with the clouds

Image of Jupiter from SkySafari
Last night... was a fun night of observation. It was supposed to be cloudy and when I went in at 5 after putting the chickens up it was. Then I got a text message from Russ (Astronomy viewing buddy) suggesting it was clear and wishing he'd come out. I step outside and yes, clear as a bell. I'd been missing it! Curse words and exclamations. I grab my box of eye pieces and my red light and dash out to the telescope (now being housed in the shower house for quicker access and no cool down time). I get it pulled out and the chair set-up. Take off the cap and turn on the red dot finder and look up: Clouds. No, wait, clear. Clouds - clear - clouds - clear. The wind was pushing them through so fast. I'd move to a clear spot get focused and start star hopping then clouds. After 20 minutes of a strange mix of laughing hysterically and cursing I called it quits and go inside.

Normally, I would not have bothered with such a mixed night but we've had 10 days of pretty cloudy weather and with a few clear nights blotted out by the moon. I was desperate.
Sigma Orionis

Couple hours later, about 10:30pm, I saw Karen post on the FB about being outside viewing so I went out: totally clear. Curse words. Get eyepieces and make a dash for the telescope. Set-up. Sit down. Clouds. More curse words. Wait. Look around. Decide there is enough clear sky to stay out. I spent the next 2 hours, maybe 3 hopping away from clouds, trying to find a few things before being foiled. Lesson learned? If you're desperate and willing to dance with the clouds for awhile, there might be a reward.

I got a fantastic view of Jupiter in the 5mm EP. The cloud bands were crystal clear and I was able to easily make out 3-4 bands. Unfortunately no GRS as it was on the other side of the planet. I also had a good viewing of a couple of planetary nebula. NGC 1535, Cleopatra's Eye, was particularly good. It is a bright blue sphere and with the 5mm EP a bright central core is easily visible. Of course the moon was out so anything faint was out of the question. I ended the night with a great shot of Sigma Orionis, a 5 star (only 4 viewable) system in Orion. Not my photo but this is exactly what I saw. Very cool.
∞

Observational Astronomy: The basic skills of science

I’ll be honest, when I ordered my telescope in September I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no agenda other than to have a way to look more closely at planets, galaxies and other objects in the night sky. Pretty simple really. After the first few sessions with the telescope I started thinking that I should keep track of the objects I was viewing. I started doing that but then realized I could probably be recording more than a simple list of what I was viewing. So I started keeping track of the date and time of the observations. Well, why not note which eye pieces I was using too? Ok. Check.

At the two week mark I’d done enough reading to see that there were organized observational “programs”, essentially, lists created to help guide and teach amateur astronomers how to go about learning observational astronomy. So I did a bit of checking and saw that in those programs they also record atmospheric conditions such as “transparency” and “seeing” as well as free form observational notes. Okay, why not?

Fast forward to today.  I’ve been consistently recording each observation, 211 thus far, but realized that I was not recording much in the way of a free form description. Some people sketch what they see and I may try that in the future but for now I’d rather use words. The problem? I don’t really have the skills to properly describe what I’m seeing. More to the point, I don’t have the vocabulary which, in a sense, is also the instruction set for observation. The vocabulary is the framework. While this is just the most basic example of one step of the scientific method I think it is useful to recognize it as such. Amateur astronomy, if combined with just a little bit of discipline, can be a valuable experiential tool for learning observation skills.

So, I spent the morning searching around and have made some progress. Because I am a nerd I must of course share in the hopes that someone will find this useful. This particular bit of information is specifically helpful for the observation of deep sky objects. Planetary and other solar system observation of comets and meteor showers is a different set of concerns and techniques!

The below is just one page from a nice set of very informative pdfs over at Astronomy Logs.

Galaxies

  • Did you use direct or averted vision?
  • What is the overall shape?
  • Is the core noticeable, compact, stellar ? Can structure be seen in the galaxy, mottling, bright or dark patches or lanes?
  • Are the outer edges sharp or diffuse? Identify any other DSO in the field.
Globular Clusters
  • Did you use direct or averted vision?
  • Is the core bright, compact, or not distinguishable? Is it highly or loosely concentrated?
  • Is any part of it resolved into stars, averted vision or not, or does it show mottling, or stars resolved at the edges?
  • Identify any other DSO in the field.
Open Clusters
  • Is it easily distinguished from the background stars, is it well defined?
  • Is there a overall shape?
  • How many stars can you count in the cluster?
  • Are the stars concentrated in any one area?
  • Is the cluster fully resolved or is background nebulosity noticed?
  • Are there areas where stars are absent in the cluster? Are there any brighter stars in the cluster and do
  • any stand out in color?
  • Identify any other DSO in the field.
Open Cluster/ Nebulosity
  • Did you use direct or averted vision to view the cluster and nebulosity, are filters needed? What is the overall shape?
  • Are the outer edges sharply defined?
  • Can both the cluster and nebulosity be seen with direct vision, or is averted vision or filters needed? What is the overall shape?
  • Are the outer edges sharply defined?
  • Are the stars concentrated in any one area?
  • Is the cluster embedded in the nebulosity or is there a distinct separation?
  • Is any part of the nebula brighter or more concentrated?
  • Are there any voids or dark patches or lanes, bright filaments or streamers in the nebulosity?
  • Identify any other DSO in the field.
Nebula
  • Did you use direct or averted vision? filters needed? What is the overall shape?
  • Are the outer edges sharply defined?
  • Is any part of the nebula brighter or more concentrated?
  • Are there any voids or dark patches or lanes, bright filaments or streamers in the nebulosity?
  • Is there an open cluster nearby or involved or any obvious stars involved with the nebulosity? Identify any other DSO in the field.
Planetary Nebula
  • What is the overall shape, is it disk shaped or more stellar?
  • Are the edges sharp or diffuse?
  • Is it easy or difficult to identify in the field?
  • What is the color of the Planetary?
  • Is the center brighter, darker or uniform brightness as the edges?
  • Identify any other DSO in the field.