Entry #1, Strange New Worlds
Who hasn't looked up into the night sky and wondered, "What really goes on up there?" As long as human beings have existed, we've gazed upon wondrous starry nights and have drawn meaning and purpose from their seemingly endless display across a black canvas. From our planet to the outer reaches of our solar system, past our own Milky Way to the galaxies, nebulae, and quasars beyond, I am about to embark on a journey to better understand the Cosmos, and possibly encourage a few people along the way.
This last Holiday, my thoughtful wife decided to splurge and get me the gift of sight. No, I'm not talking about new glasses or laser eye surgery. On December 25, 2023, I opened an extraordinarily large box to find a classic Dobsonian telescope. My passion and appreciation for space and science has been a huge part of my daily life, for a majority of the last ten years. Ah... but there is a big difference between watching documentaries and getting a first hand look at what lies beyond our reach. I plan to spend the next few months observing and documenting my own discoveries, and sharing them through this channel to my peers. I am not a professional astronomer, nor an educated astrophysicist; I am just a human being with a natural curiosity of the unknown.
There are many obstacles for a casual astronomer, some obvious and others lurking around corners. Hopefully my trial-and-error period will help to guide anyone who is interested to follow in my footsteps, or even walk alongside me. I am currently working with a very basic understanding of our solar system, a moderately affordable telescope with stock eyepieces, and an app on my phone to help me locate deep sky objects.
So far, over the month of January, I have been able to observe the gas giant Jupiter in all of its glory. The dark red bands of rich hydrogen and helium were much more crisp than I had anticipated from my novice telescope. But what really astounded me were the small glowing lights, suspended in orbit around their host planet. My first look through a telescope I was able to feel what Galileo Galilei must have felt in the year 1610, when he was the first human in history to observe moons around worlds other than our own.
While it's good to find pleasure in small successes, Jupiter is easily the brightest light in the night sky, besides our moon of course. It will take a great deal of patience, and maybe a little more money, if I want to look deeper than our friendly neighborhood planets. As I stumble along this journey, I hope to have a clearer understanding of our place in the Universe, and to share this fascination with my peers.
Very interesting! I have found myself occasionally looking up at the sky after seeing a light zip across. Contemplating on making a wish or deeming it just foolish yet, worth a try anyways. I remember as a kid going on field trips to the planetarium and my love for it focused more on enjoy the peaceful darkness and the small lights that kept everyone quiet but beautiful just the same. I admit never thought much on the solar system living here I don't see many stars, but I believe it's a fascinating hobby. Seems it would be humbling and peaceful if I could just get myself to relax enough to just sit down and look up.
ReplyDeleteForgot to change the anonymous to my name but this is my post.
DeleteYou'd be surprised how much you can see with the right telescope, even in such a light polluted city as Phoenix. Dobsonian telescopes are nicknamed "light buckets" because they can magnify even the smallest amount of light. So much that I have to wear sunglasses when I look at the moon!
DeleteThanks for taking the time to read this entry, and if you want to try to find Jupiter, just look west and up about 20 degrees tonight. Its the brightest light in the sky.
This subject has always fascinated me, I have always had a great appreciation for for space and science. Every time I read about this subject, it makes me want to dive deep into research. Space can be so fascinating, I bet observing such a distant planet such as Jupiter is exhilarating. I'm sure nothing can compare to that first hand look. I'm now going to step outside in my backyard, look west and search for the brightest light in the sky. Thanks for sharing a little bit about your hobby, I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI love space and have always been curious about what's out there. Who knows, there could be anything beyond what we currently know. I've always wanted a telescope to see the stars for myself, but living in the city doesn't allow for much stargazing. It's just a blank void everywhere you look up. However, I recently went camping in Flagstaff and the view was breathtaking. It was the first time I saw so many stars at once. In all, it's a great hobby, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your blogs.
ReplyDeleteThat's intriguing! My sister is contemplating studying either astrology or cosmology. Your cosmic journey could be the perfect inspiration for her. She might find your blog particularly interesting :) Excited to share your discoveries, especially those that resonate with her potential academic interests!
ReplyDelete- Diego Villalobos
What an awesome gift to support your interest and help you learn. My family is a big fan of the SkyView app to help us identify what we are looking at in the night sky.
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