Monthly Archives: September 2010

Moon

Observe the Moon

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You Can’t Miss It!

The Moon, as seen from the International Space Station. Courtesy NASA.

Do you like to look at the Moon?  It’s a great object to study — whether with the naked eye or binoculars, or with a telescope (if you have one).  On September 18 (this Saturday), all the Moon gazers around the world will join together to celebrate the first of what they hope will be many “International Observe the Moon Nights“.

The Moon is so close, yet so far away from us.  It takes about  1.3 seconds to send a light beam between Earth and the Moon. If you wanted to travel there, it would take more than a day (and more likely a couple of days at the least). And, once you got there, you’d have to live in a space suit, bring along your own food and water, and — if you wanted to build a home there — you’d have to live underground for your own safety.  The lunar surface is covered with craters and coated with dust. It’s not very hospitable at all — but, humans have wanted to travel there. And, in the 1960s and 1970s, humans DID go to the Moon.  We aren’t back there yet, but hopefully someday we will be.  It’s a worthy goal for any traveler. For now, though, we can observe it easily from our backyards.  Hence, the celebration of International Observe the Moon Night.

The best part about the celebration is that you don’t have to be an experienced skygazer.  It’s for anybody — from the general public to amateur astronomers to professionals — to gaze at the Moon.  Check out the festivities at the link above — where you’ll find a history of the event and some forms to fill out if you participate.  I can’t think of a better way to spend a September evening! Can you?

astronomy

That Which is Done Beneath the Naked Stars

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Is Never Forgotten

The view west of Boulder Colorado at night, looking north, with a backdrop of flames from the Four Mile Fire. Image courtesy of MyTownColorado.com and William Maher III. Click to enlarge.

I think this picture speaks for itself, but in case you haven’t been following the news in Colorado, we are witnessing a wildfire that has (as of this writing) destroyed at least 93 buildings (homes and other structures), spread across more than 7,000 acres, and caused the evacuation of thousands of people.  It began on September 6 around 10:30 a.m. and spread quickly. Many of us who are outside the danger zone but close enough to see have been taking photographs of the fire. I live about 9 miles south of the fire and we’ve watching the huge clouds of smoke during the day and the glowing sheets of flame at night (when visible).  This is one of the most spectacular, clearly showing the naked stars over the fire scene.  It was taken by William Maher III, probably on September 6, 2010.  You can see more images at MyTown Colorado.

I’ve posted some of my own pictures taken on the first day of the fire here (FB mirror here).