July 31, 2008 #014 - Sleeping Under the Stars

Have you ever abandoned your comfy bed, forsaken a tent and slept with only the night sky above you? It was one of my favorite times as a young boy. I would set out the cot on the hill facing south in my parents yard, the sleeping bag and an old canvas tarp draped over it to ward off the dew.

In those times light pollution had not yet dimmed the stars. The twilight would fade, and the stars would shine so clear that as you stared at the sky you could imagine falling upward as if you were floating in space. I remember one night when a brilliant green meteor trail lit up the sky. It was the color that a piece of copper makes when you burn it in a campfire. The thrill of the sight is still vivid after 50 years.

It is during the long night as you doze and wake then sleep and wake again that you truly discover that the earth and you are really turning. You can read about it and watch the sun move through out the day but these little slices of time during the night are like a time lapse movie. You see the familiar constellations move, old stars set and new ones rise. Then the final act to the play arrives all too soon as the birds begin to sing and dawn in the east fades the night away.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 30, 2008 #013 - Luna 3, Echo

On October 7, 1959 the Russian space craft Luna 3 began to record images of the back side of the moon. To a young boy who loved to pretend he was in orbit over the moon while looking through his telescope these pictures were unimaginable. I read science fiction but no one really believed that space craft would ever go to these places. That was only a fantasy for children. I cut out the picture from the newspaper and saved it very carefully as a scientist would preserve an important specimen. I have scanned that clipping still preserved in plastic which I have kept for almost 50 years.

In August of 1960 the United States launched the first successful Echo satellite. This was actually a huge silvered 100 foot in diameter balloon that was inflated at an orbital altitude of almost a thousand miles. The local paper would print the time for best observation. Evening passes were best and we would go out and watch it pass over. It was much like Venus at it's brightest but moved fast across the sky. It was a thrill to watch. You could even follow it with the telescope if you were quick enough. The best view was when there were clouds with lots of openings. It was a sight to watch it pass behind clouds and then jump out in the clear areas, it gave a 3D perspective which I never tired of watching. Yes I still catch the Space Station whenever I can but Echo was the first satellite for a boy.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 29, 2008 #012 - Comet Mrkos, Sputnik 1, Weather Balloons

During the next summer I saw my first Comet. C/1957 P1 (Mrkos) I have read on the net where others have mentioned this comet as their first sighting. It was bright and easily visible in July and August. Also, weather balloons were common during that summer. I would see them with the sun illuminating them after sunset. I would guess that they were at high altitude as they were fully expanded, looking like small versions of the moon in the telescope. During frequent walks in the countryside I have found pieces of balloon outer skin laying in fields. Twice I have found instrument packages with battery packs. My new Edmund 3 inch Reflector got a workout following these balloons, Venus, Jupiter, and the moon.

There was also great excitement that year when Russia launched Sputnik 1. We listened to it on the radio. The space age had dawned. Exciting times.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 28, 2008 #011 – First Telescope, Edmund Scientific

I remember the first telescope I ever laid eyes on. It was high on a bookcase near the window ledge in my kindergarten classroom in 1951. It was a beautiful brass telescope that gleamed in the morning sun. It was about two feet long and had a brass tripod a foot tall. It was never taken down or used as far as I could tell but it fulfilled it's purpose, it inspired a boy for the rest of his life.

The second telescope I saw was at a boy scout camp. My father was a scout master and we were at summer camp in 1955. A scout from another troop set up a 6 inch reflector in a field. I went out to the field in the evening and saw my first home made telescope. He gave me a copy of Sky & Telescope Magazine. This was a wonder I had not known existed, an astronomy monthly. I still have it in my files and take it out once in a while to try and regain those feelings of boyhood discovery.

Edmund Scientific was prominently featured in the magazine advertisements. After many subtle hints I received my first telescope, an Edmund 3 inch reflector, purchased for me by my parents for $29.95 and set up by the Christmas tree.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 27, 2008 #010 - Maksutov, Questar

In the 1960's and 70's the Questar maksutov was the top of the line. The advertisement in Sky & Telescope was on the back of the cover and I lingered there a long while. I could dream but never actually think of purchasing one. As I reached my twenties I could have possibly purchased a 3 1/2 inch model but by that time the 7 inch came out. Not in my wildest thoughts could my paycheck stretch to those heights. Then I got a look through a 12 inch reflector and all thoughts of Questar left me as aperture fever struck. The cost of the Questar did not stop me from collecting catalogs. Each year I would write to New Hope, Pennsylvania and spend the $2 for the catalog. When they arrived they were a sight to behold, color pictures of and through the scope. I still treasure many of these and keep them in my files. I have scanned a page from the first I sent for in 1960 and a four page brochure from 1973. No color pictures but interesting information.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 26, 2008 #009 - Planisphere

All backyard astronomers have probably used a planisphere to check out the night sky. Today you can get hand held units that you can point at any of thousands of objects that will read out information. They run around $250. You can see them advertised in any astronomy magazine. Tonight I scanned to the blog my old Star Explorer. The back says the forth printing - 1944 - 45th Thousand. It was given to me to use when I was a youngster and probably sold for less than $2.50. This was high tech analog stuff.

Clear Sky - Rich

July 25, 2008 #008 - Cartes du Ciel, Star Atlas

I use another free Sky Atlas when a little less detail is needed, say for a quick observation with the telescope. It's called Cartes du Ciel by Patrick Chevalley. There is a New Version 3 but I am partial to Version 2.76c. It reminds me more of my old Skalnaté Pleso Atlas. I find that with age change is a little harder to accept. You can add Catalogs and other data to increase the amount of data displayed or simplify. You can download asteroids, comets, etc. You can speed into the future or back to an earlier time. Give it a try I think you will like it.

http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/index.html

Clear Sky - Rich

July 24, 2008 #007 - Virtual Moon Atlas

Earlier I wrote about a Sky Atlas for telescopic use. The moon watcher, has another free program with lots of options. In my opinion the authors would have a hard time coming up with anything else to include in it. It's called Virtual Moon Atlas now in Pro V4.0. This program was produced by Christian Legrand and Patrick Chevalley. It amazes me how much work people will donate for the love of a hobby and Amateur Astronomers are at the top of the list.

http://ap-i.net/avl/en/start

Clear Sky - Rich

July 23, 2008 #006 - David and Wendee Levy, Let's Talk Stars

David and Wendee Levy produce a show called Let's Talk Stars. David is a well known amateur astronomer with a long list of books to his credit. They have an easy laid back style that makes you want to grab a cup a coffee and sit across the campfire for a spell. Their programs are available to download. They champion family observing, astronomy camps, and interview people from all branches of the astronomical tree. David also writes for Sky & Telescope. Give them a listen. I think you will enjoy the programs.

http://www.letstalkstars.com/

Clear Sky - Rich

July 22, 2008 #005 - Luna, Wikispace

If you are a moon watcher, as I am, the net has a lot of information to look at on the subject. One of the most interesting is LPOD The Moon Wiki from the mind of Chuck Wood. Each day there is a new photo, with a short article accompanying it. Submissions are brought together from many observers and links to lots of specific lunar data are presented. It's a daily treat for me!

http://lpod.wikispaces.com/2008

Clear Sky - Rich

July 21, 2008 #004 - Coulter CT-100

I've spent many an evening pouring over my astronomy magazines studying each advertisement, dreaming. I still do. Sometimes a new telescope or accessory would appear that especially attracted my attention. I would dash off a letter requesting a catalog or flyer and add it to my collection. One of these was Coulter Optics Ultra Compact 4 1/4" Telescope called the CT-100. I scanned this one tonight for the blog. Maybe you remember it or were too young to have seen it and might be interested. It was very innovative at the time and still looks great. There is a good review by Akkana Peck at her web site.

http://www.shallowsky.com/ct100.html

Clear Sky - Rich

July 20, 2008 #003 - Extra Solar Planets

Scientific Americans web site just ran an article on the possibility that an earth like planet has been picked up in orbit around the star Gliese 581, 20.5 light-years away. They also think it orbits in the habitable zone. The search for new planets around neighboring stars continues to gets more interesting. Imagine a very few years ago we never dreamed that we could even detect a planet at this distance. Now the speculation is that we may be able to detect signs of life in a few more years.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=all-wet-astronomers-claim

Clear Sky - Rich

July 19, 2008 #002 - Astro Mapping Software

I have always been a peruser of Sky Maps. Like many others over the years, I purchased Norton's Star Atlas and a couple of versions of Skalnaté Pleso. From these I made plastic covered copies to use at the telescope. Later I entered the electronic era. My first computer was an Amiga 500 then a 1200. During that period I discovered a great sky atlas called First Light. Over time the Amiga dropped off the ends of the earth and Windows moved in. I ran various programs in search of a good atlas. I found that good equals expensive. Recently I found an excellent Deep Sky Mapping program that is free! This does everything the commercial programs do and more. The author has done a wonderful job and has given us a jewel as a gift. The program is CNebulaX by J.R. Torres. Also check out Tri Atlas, extensive sky maps in PDF and postscript, which print out for telescopic use, on the website.

http://www.uv.es/jrtorres/

Clear Sky - Rich

July 19, 2008 #001 - Astronomy Blogger

Well lets see if an old dog can learn a new trick. Blogging.

One of my hobbies for many years has been astronomy and I would like to share some of the info I've saved. I will try to post some old catalogs, some of the good web sites that I have found on the net, and anything else someone with similar interest may find worth reading.

Clear Sky - Rich