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Tuesday, September 18, 2007Moon astronomy
As I rode my bike along the trail last night, the quarter moon hung low in the twilight and its beauty brought a smile to my face. This is in stark contrast to the days when I, like many of my deep-sky observing cohorts, spoke of the moon in less complimentary terms. As I recall, the "accursed orb" was one of the worst. Now that I am trapped in the light polluted city, though, I am singing a different tune when it comes to the moon. Okay, maybe not "Fly Me to the Moon" but certainly "By the Light of the Silvery Moon".
For astronomy, the moon doesn't always get the publicity it deserves. It has a lot going for it for an observer. For one, it can be observed with any optical instrument - even a binocular will show the basic features and a small telescope will take you inside craters and show mountains. For another, the moon gives you a new look each night. As the shadow advances and recedes across the face of the moon, the change in lighting highlights new detail. Wait a few nights and you might wonder if you are looking at the same features. By the way, there is no shortage of good moon songs to sing as you observe and the moon won't object if you can't carry a tune or you forget a few words. Comments: |
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