Stargazing: A Worthwile Hobby For Everyone
"Amateur Astronomers Discover a Lifetime Hobby"
People have been looking up at the wonder of the night sky probably since there have been people. Regardless of your religious proclivities or culture, you cannot help but be amazed by what you see. It boggles the mind to think about all that is going on out there. Stars are being born and dying, galaxies are being formed, meteors, comets, and other heavenly bodies are moving around at speeds we find hard to comprehend.
After many trials in my life, I remember a time right before I married my current husband back in 1993. My children, my fiancè (now husband) and I lay on blankets on the ground in Michigan and watched a meteor shower. We lived in a very remote area; perfect for watching this awesome event. No nearby city lights and no pollution.
Comet Hale-Bopp March 29, 1997
Another one of the most memorable times in my life was when we were visited by Hale-Bopp in the spring of1997. Several nights in a row at about 9:50 PM, this beautiful bright comet could be found high in the western night sky. I was always fascinated by the introduction to the TV show, Star Trek,: Deep Space 9. I even admired the sound effects! Comets are like old-souls in the universe and deserve our respect. Maybe that comment deserves some clarification.
Have you ever thought, “If I can see all of these amazing events with the naked eye, imagine what’s taking place that I can’t see?” I’ve always wanted to visit an observatory. I have been to planetariums with my children, but I’m in awe of the huge powerful telescopes that will show me collisions within the rings of Saturn. I guess I’ll have to put that on my bucket list! Okay, back to comets deserving our respect.
I find amateur astronomy fun and educational pretty much no matter what the topic, however, comets are one of my favorites. The word comet actually comes form the Latin, stella cometa, meaning “hairy comet” referring to its “tail.” A common comet reference I hear is that they are “dirty snowballs.” Where do they come from? A hypothesized spherical cloud of comets called the Oort Cloud that’s about 1 light year (or 5,865,696,000,000 miles) away from our Sun. These objects in the Oort Cloud are largely composed of ices (probably from water, methane, and ammonia.) The theory is this cloud formed closer to our Sun but was scattered far out into space when the giant planets in our solar system evolved eons ago. The Oort Cloud is loosely tied to our solar system but can be affected by the gravitational pull of the Milky Way Galaxy and passing stars. These forces occasionally dislodge comets from within the Oort Cloud and send them towards the interior of our solar system (where we get to see them with the naked eye sometimes).
Looking at the gorgeous photo of Hale-Bopp, it’s hard to believe that comets spend most of their existence as dark balls of gases, ice, rocks, and dust. They are left over from the formation of stars and planets. Comets more closely resemble a ball of material similar to oil or coal. So, they are typically pitch black in color! When a comet closely approaches our Sun (like Hale-Bopp in the above photo), we then get the pleasure of seeing their magnificent ion tails unfurled as the ice melts and becomes gaseous. The closer it gets to the Sun, the faster it travels and the longer and more brilliant its tail. Did you know that most comets have highly elliptical orbits and only come close to our Sun for only a few months; they spend hundreds or thousands of years in the deep solar system. Anything that ancient to me deserves respect. Not to mention, Earth may be in their path some day so we have to keep an eye on them!
A really cool free online tool is Google Sky. Have you tried it yet? All the images are real and it doesn’t matter what the weather outside is like. If you have a computer and Internet connection, you can explore the known universe (and beyond) for free. If you have an Android phone, you can get the free app, Google Sky Map. Just point it at the sky and, voila! It will show you what is in that part of the night sky! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to be a stargazer in 2011. Another one of my favorite tools for beginners to learn their way around the night sky, is Stargazing for Beginners. This is a clear guide on how to use simple binoculars as your stargazing tool. I had questions when I first started stargazing with my binoculars and learned a ton! I thought larger-aperture binoculars would be better because they let in more light (may not be true) and are image-stabilized binoculars, are they really worth the bucks for stargazing? You have to educate yourself on what you really need to increase your stargazing pleasure.
Amateur astronomy has something for everyone. Planets (do you remember how in 2006 they ruled Pluto is no longer a planet?), galaxies, stars, meteors, meteoroids (now you have to look up the difference to seem smart to your kids), and getting to know all the constellations. I will admit, my eyes are not good at spotting all but the easy ones! It’s fun to sit outside on a clear night with your family, away from city lights, ringing phones, televisions, and computer games… and just talk, explore, and get close as a family. If you share the wonders of the universe, our environment, and all the beauty our world has to offer, generations to come will learn to respect her, too.
This is an extra special treat for those that want to explore the topic of astronomy and stargazing seriously. It’s beautiful, captivating, and educational. Enjoy.
To your prosperity and online success,
I grew up not far from Toronto ON Canada, and never knew the wonders of the night sky. Not so my hubby. Ian was an amateur astronomer before we met, and succeeded in whetting my appetite. Here in northern Alberta, we can see the stars and the Northern Lights.
I remember Halle-Bop! We lived at the edge of the city at that time, but we still got to see it night after night for a while.
Another highlight of my stargazing years occurred 25 years ago. We were living on an acreage an hour from the city, and had been tracking the course of Venus. It was the morning star at the time, so this was a challenge as the days went by. But one day I triumphantly showed my husband how I had located Venus in the clear blue daylight sky at 1:00 PM — with the naked eye!!! That could only happen because I had been watching it day after day and knew exactly where to look for it. But what a triumph!
Willena Flewelling
Willena Flewelling recently posted..There are Good Days and There are Bad Days
Willena, I can’t tell you how enjoyable it has been reading of your stargazing experiences! That’s what blogging is all about. Sharing, adding value, getting to know new people. Just by this one comment, I feel like I know you a little bit. I have never seen Venus in the day time! That’s so exciting! That’s what I meant when I made the statement, “Hobby for a lifetime.” Once you experience the wonder and awe of what’s going on out there, you’re never quite the same, are you?
Keep gazing at the nighttime sky and make new memories to pass on to others.
Deborah
We live in the country and I love to hang out in the back yard and gaze up at the sky when the weather is nice. I had not heard of Google Sky before now. Google Sky will be great when I’m in the mood for star gazing but the weather is bad.
Thank You
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Hello, Mark & Welcome:
I, too, live in the country as I have most of my life. Some people think country living is boring and that without a neighbors surrounding your property on every side… “it’s scary!” I just laugh! I guess there are places that are right for each person, where they feel comfortable living. Personally, I like to be extremely competitive in business but when the day is done…. PRIVACY! That’s where spending times with special people and doing fun activities like stargazing come in. Technology today is outstanding. There’s no reason everyone that wants to can make the time to go stargazing!
Thanks for the comments!
Deborah
Hi Deborah-
I loved your post. I grew up in rural Kansas and one of my favorite memories for sure is going outside at night and just sitting under the stars, getting out the telescope and looking at planets and moon. I appreciate this post because you totally took me back to my childhood and those fond memories! Thanks. I think I need to plan a trip to the Exploratorium.
Cori Hughes
Cori Hughes recently posted..4 Relaxation Tips- So You Can Have Less Temper Tantrums than Your Kids
Thanks so much for sharing something personal from your life, Cori. I feel so many deep things when I look at the nighttime sky. Most people do. It sure beats the TV or a computer screen!
I hope you can fondly remember your stargazing from days past and reincorporate it for the future. It keeps you thinking and humble!
Deborah
Deborah,
We quite often sit in our hot tub in the back yard and gaze at the stars in the sky. Although we live in the city, we still find we are fascinated by what’s “up there”. Tonight we found fascination in the clouds… it was one of those “creepy” nights… grey clouds, bare trees… a little flashback to Halloween.
Thanks for the post… you’ve inspired us to do some more stargazing.
Thanks,
~ Pat and Lorna
http://TheCoolestCouple.com
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Hey, Pat & Lorna:
Stargazing evokes many emotions depending on what you hear and see! It’s certainly never boring! I don’t get enough time to do it either but am trying to commit myself to doing it on a regular basis.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Deborah
There are some great links in this post. Thanks so much for putting this together. You amaze me with the depth of your posts, Deborah. I would love to stargaze sometime out in the desert where there are no lights for miles. Of course, there may be rattlesnakes – that would not be good.
Nicole, you always make me smile!
My new method of marketing this 2011 is to incorporate more personal things along with the items of business. After all, what makes me different from other marketers? Me! My experiences, my thoughts, and the way I think. So, I’m going to put more of “me” into my writing.
I have always admired your writing style and part of what sets you apart is your “uniqueness.” I’m just following your lead!
Have a great 2011, Nicole!
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
great article. I learned that there is Google Sky and map.
Very interesting.
Thank you so much.
Love and Joy
from
Yorinda
Yes, Google Sky is really something else. All the images are real and it’s a great learning tool. Free. It’s a great addition to Google Earth. Technology today is just phenomenal.
So glad you enjoyed the article.
Deborah
Deborah,
This post brought me back to my family vacations back when I was a kid. We always spent the first 2 weeks in August at a lake camp in Maine, which is historically a time for tremendous meteor showers. My dad used to wake us up in the middle of the night, pack us up in the rowboat, and we’d sit there in the complete and utter darkness, staring at the majestic show up above. It was nothing short of spectacular!
Thanks for the great reminder, and for bringing me back to a time where the world was full of magic and splendor. Working to bring that spark back into my life – maybe it’s time for a bit of stargazing???
Kathy Jodrey
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Kathy, it’s fabulous that you have these memories! Many people today are so focused on high-tech toys, video games, Wii, and other fun activities but they totally miss some of the most important events that go on all around us. Recently I photographed the full moon on the night of a total lunar eclipse. The moon was very large when it came up and an orange color. Absolutely stunning! I just wanted to share a bit of a hobby I have with others and hope they and their families can enjoy these activities, too. What I’m happy to see is that many families have and do enjoy the outdoors and stargazing. Often it’s the simple things that bring the most rewarding times spent with family.
Deborah
I am also fascinated by all that transpires so far away and yet visible with the naked eye. Pretty incredible.
I love to just watch the sky when I am up north (tip of Dore county) in the summer time. The stars are so bright there. It gives you a feeling of inner peace to just sit and watch what is going on thousands of light years away!
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Karin, it’s great to hear that others so enjoy the nighttime sky as well. With our busy lives, it is so easy to bypass all the truly astounding things that go on around us each day. When I went out west (AZ, CO, & UT), the sky was so clear, the stars were huge, and you could hear coyotes in the distance. It is truly awe inspiring to see our place in the universe.
Thanks for adding your comments here:
Deborah
Nice post. The video is great- I’ll share it with my children.
I keep meaning to take my kids up onto the roof (we have a flat roof) to do some star gazing – your post is a great reminder to get that done! Thanks for sharing!
Hello, Caroline:
Nice to meet you! Some of the most magical things happen when you share those little moments with your children. I think it is those special moments that stay with them much more so than just buying them techy things to keep them busy. You sound like a great mom!
Deborah