We went out to dinner with friends tonight at a local eatery. A good time was had by all and dinner was good. When we left, we stepped out into the crisp 9°F evening and there was Orion shining above us in the southern half of the sky. If it hadn’t been so cold out, we could have dallied a bit and looked at the nebula and traced out some of the other bright stars around the constellation. But, since we weren’t dressed for observing, we admired the sight as we rushed to the cars and that was it.

Weather is often cited as a good reason for NOT stargazing. It’s understandable. If it’s cloudy or rainy or snowing, there’s nothing to see. If it’s cold, you can stand it for a few minutes before you want to head back inside to get warm. On hot summer nights you just want to get back into the air conditioning or away from the mosquitos. Again, completely understandable.

But, if you’re heading back inside with a slight tinge of regret, or guilt, then I think you’re a stargazer at heart. And, you’ll find a way to get back out there to visit with the stars again.

They sell mighty fine mosquito repellant. Warm clothes can be had, or layered on. Or, you can do what I did one night during the Leonids: I sat on my car hood wrapped in a blanket, and propped up on the windshield facing Leo. It only occurred to me a few hours into the session that I COULD turn my car ON for a few minutes to warm the hood and then I would be warm, too. Wisdom in hindsight, that’s sometimes what stargazing is about, too.

If it’s cold or unpleasant where you are, here’s a little something to tide you over until the next time you go out stargazing. It’s the view of Orion from a spot in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran, courtesy of Iranian journalist and amateur astronomer Babak Tafreshi and the Astronomy Picture of the Day web site.