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Man has always looked up at the night sky and wondered ...

What is all that? Why is it there? Where does it go? Who lives out there? Are they like us?

The questions go on as far as the universe ... but what are the answers? Today we know much more than the first men. But, there are many answers we still don't have. In fact, we probably have more questions than before.

But, as with everything else, the more closely we look, the better we understand. With Astronomy, to look closer, you must look farther. Technology has allowed us to do just that. In fact, just about anyone today can easily obtain (or build) a much better telescope than did Galileo ... considered the father of modern Astronomy.

Astronomy is a fascinating hobby. You can start easily with a few books. Star charts or planetarium software will quickly familiarize you with the major objects to be found in the night sky. Actually, the objects are there in the daytime, too ... you just can't see them, because of the strong light from the sun. In a few nights you'll be surprised how many objects you remember. With simply a pair of binoculars, new and exciting finds will pop into your view. With a small, inexpensive telescope, combined with a camera you probably already own, incredible views will begin to fill your scrapbook. How deeply you delve into the universe around us will be limited only by your time and energy.

The skills you learn while pursuing the sky's beauty will also come in handy while you're hiking or boating. Knowing your way around the sky will help you also know your way around the earth.

Our "Star Trek" to the Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017

On Sunday, August 20th, Dennis, Mike, and I traveled to Dayton, TN, to observe the total solar eclipse occurring the next day. We chose Dayton because it was within the path of totality and there was a Walmart Supercenter there that afforded a good parking spot to spend the night. The center of the path was 15 miles north of Dayton in the small town of Spring City.

On Monday we moved about 7 miles farther north to an east-west road, that provided a more rural setting and gave us the capability to quickly move, if any clouds developed. At 2:30PM EDT, the moon's shadow swept across our very sunny location, affording an excellent view of this rare spectacle ... it was truly amazing.

Access my slideshow, by clicking the link below. On the slide showing totality, you'll see the sun's corona, a few stars, and the planet Mars visible in the upper right of the photo. Enjoy the show.   Gary.

Click Here to Start the Slideshow.
 

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Pages Last Updated on October 16, 2017

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the Solar System Scope.