Discovery!

Once more, tired, but with too many small pains to sleep, I roll out of bed about 3:15 am and as I glance out the door to the upper deck I see it is wonderfully clear. Ten minutes later, tea...

It's gotta be morning. . .

Well, at least it has to be a time when I'm well rested. And that, more often than not is 2-3 am - but there's more. That's also a time when the air is likely to be steadiest - the...

From Andromeda: Welcome back!

Putting on my watch cap - now that's a weird experience in August, but I noticed the temperature was 65 degrees and while any reasonable person would call that warm, most "reasonable" persons don't roll out of bed and head...

Do you see what I see?

Do you see what I see? That's not a rhetorical question. I really wish someone could give me an answer, but at the same time I'm not sure there is an answer. What I have experienced feels like an extraordinary...

Easter in M92 and M13 with Eliza and Higgins

M92 is where I “went to church” on Easter morning – sort of beating the traditional sunrise service to the punch. The “service” I attended was held at about 4 am and I don’t have a clue who else was...

Imagination plus zoom eyepiece equals awesome observing

I've added the final piece to my ideal star-gazing equipment, a Vixen 8mm-24mm zoom eyepiece - and in the process come across a wonderful piece by Chet Raymo that sums up what I think observing should be. But more...

Going beyond "wow!"

I was asked to deliver the "mesage" - sermon - at Allen's Neck Friends Meeting Sunday on the broad subject of space. I wrote it out - then delivered as much of it as I could in an informal manner,...

Of comets, rings, and yellow warblers

I went to bed before 9, figuring that by normal standards I would be awake at 1:30 am giving me plenty of time to look for Comet SW-3 which continues to break up in interesting fashion – but is a...

Can you see? Do you see?

No . . . that is not it . . .just my childish dabbling in Photoshop . . . Some time last spring I had one of those wonderful experiences at the eyepiece where lots of things – meditation,...