Bruce Frahm's
Astronomy page
I suppose I find astronomy so fascinating because it is the ULTIMATE field of physical science, asking most of the 'big' questions about our existence in the universe. The non-light polluted and unobstructed skies of western Kansas are a good venue for practicing astronomy too. Our mercury vapor yard light has an OFF switch, and that's its normal state in summer. Being 4 miles from a town of 5000, we have some light pollution here but can drive 3 miles to a creek valley where the dark sky is impressive. In fact from this site Comet Hyukatake's tail subtended over 110 degrees!
I started personally viewing the heavens with optical aid when 10, with a 3" Newtonian reflector. By age 16 I had graduated to a 6" Newtonian (both from Edmund) with clock drive. For my 41st birthday I received a 10" Odyssey Dobsonian. These are light buckets -- with money going into large mirrors and simple, inexpensive and unobtrusive mounts. Unfortunately, this was about the time I discovered I had "map dot fingerprint dystrophy". This dimpling of the cornea is not a big deal in most daily pursuits, but plays havoc with contrast in low-light situations -- the essence of observational astronomy.
Some of my favorite astronomy sights have been the comet impacts on Jupiter, observing the first quarter and eclipsed moon, sunspots (observed indirectly with eyepiece projection onto a screen), the double cluster in Perseus and the Ring nebula in Lyra. Although Janice and I are not big constellation observers, we know some of them and enjoy their varying company through the seasons. We had a wonderful time learning southern hemisphere constellations and binocular sights while on our Yankee Trader circumnavigation in 1979.
Links:
JPEGs of the June 10, 2002 solar eclipse as seen by eyepiece projection with my 6" Newtonian.
Sky & Telescope is a wonderful monthly magazine that covers all aspects of astronomy and keeps one abreast of the latest developments as well as current night-sky attractions. Their ability to cover the simple and complex, and subjects from astrophysics to mythology, makes reading the magazine a joy. There is a good S&T website. They also offer a nice weekly e-mail news synopsis with nightly observing suggestions. To subscribe: email the text (NOT subject line)
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A website to obtain satellite visibility predictions, especially the dramatically flaring magnitude -9 Iridium satellites, is available at Heavens Above. It also gives some eclipse, etc. info. A similar product with different graphical presentation is J-Pass.