Looking into the Past

“9/26/90- Fog, everywhere but up”

    I have been searching through my slides and pictures for shots taken at the Wagman Observatory and of our club. The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) is rapidly closing in on its 100^th anniversary. Hopefully, the pictures I find can add to the club's history. Their observatories, the members, star parties and events they held are all included in my search.

    As I am doing this, I am also winnowing down my collection. Do I really need 10 shots of a partial lunar eclipse taken 15 years ago? Are the slides filled with dots of mold really worth saving? Let me tell you, the wastepaper basket has been getting a lot of use lately!

    While searching I have also come across a lot of pictures that I want to save. I have also come across many that cause me to wonder.

    I found some pictures of the desk in the Wagman Observatory, taken before the addition had been added. One was just the desk and the others were of me, writing in my journal. The colors were red and black. I attempted to enlarge the picture to see what I was writing or what was on the sky atlas open beside the notebook. The pictures weren’t sharp enough to see any details.

    I continued copying slides but my mind kept returning to those pictures.

It wasn’t until later in the evening that an idea hit me. The date was noted on the slides! I could look in my journals and see what I had written. This unfortunately would involve another trip up to the attic. This isn’t the easiest thing to do these days.

    A day or two later, I made the trip. I went through the cubbyhole in the closet and up a sketchy set of rungs into the space under the rafters. I knew exactly where they were kept, in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet. I pulled out the one I needed and then after a moment’s thought, grabbed the entire pile and brought them downstairs with me.

    Looking through them, I found the journal I was looking for and turned to the date in question. There it was! The page in the pictures! Reading the entry, I found out that the evening was foggy. The sky overhead was clear, but it was rapidly disappearing. I had taken some photos of Mars and the Andromeda Galaxy. I had also dropped my camera, breaking a filter and a shutter cable in the process. (8:21PM if you’re interested)

    After closing the roof because of the approaching fog, I took a couple pictures of the desk to check whether the camera was still working. This was a film camera, no digital stuff yet.

    This wasn’t the first time I ever dropped a camera, believe me. I get a chill just thinking about it. Hopefully this occurrence helped me become even more careful with my gear!

    I find it fascinating to leaf through these notebooks. There are times when I can remember the exact day and event listed in them; all it takes is a simple sentence. Of course, there are so many things written down that I have completely forgotten. (Such as the time my car battery died after a Christmas Party at Alleghany Observatory) I enjoy looking at the simple sketches I made and am sometimes amazed at the detail in some of them. The items stuck between the pages are another exciting thing to look at: pictures, newsletters, notes and lists.

    Looking at my journals, I see that the collection isn’t complete. There are more than a few missing. I guess I’ll have to make another trip up to the attic.

    Whether or not these journals will ever be anything other than a reminder of the past is yet to be seen. I definitely am glad that I kept them. They are filled with memories of not only stellar observations but memories of family, friends and good times I’ve had under the stars. They also remind me of some of the mistakes I’ve made, such as dropping cameras. Oh yeah, I need to remember those also, no matter how foolish they were.

The Selfish Observer

 

Sharing my love of astronomy has been part of my life for decades. Pointing out things in the sky out to neighbors, setting up my telescope at Halloween for the kids to look through or helping out at star parties, I always enjoy doing something astronomical. It is just what I like to do.

    There is a certain kick I get when I hear someone’s exclamation after seeing Saturn through a telescope. It’s fun to explain how Jupiter’s moons move during the night or how the moon can cover a star. Seeing people lined up waiting to get a look through a telescope is exciting. I can’t help but hope that some of them will continue on and become astronomers themselves. Hopefully, I would be a part of that decision. After a star party or even a simple astronomical interaction, I always feel good and am happy with the world.

    The astronomy club (3AP.org) recently had a pair of star parties, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. The first was clouded out. Star parties work best when you can see the stars!

    The skies on Saturday were deep blue with hardly any clouds. The observatory was opened at 4 and club members and guests started arriving soon after. One of the scopes was pointed at the sun and guests were able to see a couple small sunspots on its surface. They were told to stick around until dark, that was when the real fun would start. The planet Saturn would be the high point of the evening, everyone loves to view Saturn! Before long, the observatory started getting crowded.

    I kept thinking about seeing Saturn through the big scope as the evening progressed. I also thought about going home and using my own scope to see it!

    As the sky darkened, both scopes in the building were open and lines had formed. The room between them was filled with people talking and looking at the displays. Kids were running around having a blast while their parents attempted to keep an eye on them. Outside, members were showing people the views through their own scopes.

    Having been there for over 4 hours, I was ready to head back home. I’m not as young as I used to be and standing for that long puts a strain on my legs. I said my good-byes and tried my best not to drive over anyone on the way out. The members’ telescopes had plenty of people around them!

    I never had a chance to view Saturn so I decided when I got home to set up my scope in the front yard. Surprisingly, there were very few lights lit in the neighborhood. Porch lights shining on me is one of the major problems with observing at home.

    Within a short time I had the scope set up in a corner of the yard. Unfortunately, Saturn was still hidden from me by a tree. It would appear soon and so I just spent the time browsing. I looked off towards the west and visited some old familiar sites such as M-57, the Ring Nebula and Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double star. I easily found the Coat Hanger Cluster with my binoculars and then spent some time just pushing the scope back and forth, seeing whatever popped into my view. The sky was extremely clear, a rarity in Glenshaw.

    A car pulled up to a neighbor’s house and, of course, the lights shown directly onto my scope. It was time to take a small break; I went into the house for a drink.

    Coming back outside, Saturn was now above the tree so I turned the scope towards it. The next ½ hour was spent fixated on the ringed planet. The telescope provided me one of the best views of the planet I’ve ever seen through it.

    One of the nice things about long observations is that even though the view may look great, it often improves for a few seconds. What looked absolutely fascinating can suddenly become mind blowing! On this evening, it looked 3-dimentenal, it looked like a photograph. At times it appeared like a fine pen and ink drawing, the lines looked so delicate and exact! I couldn’t remember ever seeing the planet look this good when viewed from Glenshaw or through this telescope. This was a night to remember!

While observing this wondrous sight, I was thinking about the star party. Should I have stayed? Was I selfish coming home to observe by myself?

    Even though I enjoy sharing my hobby with others, there are times that I just want to be by myself. It can be extremely relaxing to be out under the stars with no one else around. Listening to crickets chirping, coyote pups yipping at each other and maybe the quiet footsteps of deer walking past, oblivious to your presence, these are all things that I’ve experienced. Standing in an unbroken field of snow with the stars sparkling on the snow crystals and watching the moon rise over a hilltop can be almost a religious experience. I’ll never get tired of seeing these things, and being there by myself gives me a chance to look into my inner being a bit.

    When observing at a telescope, being alone allows me to take my time, to relax and enjoy the view. I can take notes, experiment with eyepieces and if I choose to do so, just push the scope around to see what pops into view. There are no distractions and no time table.

    I had put my time in at the party. There were others that could do what I was doing, in fact, they would do it better! So this personal bit of observing wasn’t greed or a desire to get away from everyone…I’d like to look at it as a small reward. I’d done my sharing for the evening, now it was time to relax and enjoy.

By all means, I’ll always share my love of astronomy with others but whenever I get the chance to do some solo observing, I’ll grab it! The peaceful quiet of the night is one of the things that has always grabbed me, I can’t give it up! No, it isn’t greed, it’s more like love…

The End of a Short Month

It was the last day of February. Posts on Facebook were talking about an astronomical parade of planets that would be happening that evening. Like so many things posted on FB, I didn’t have any real desire to see it. I knew that 3 of the planets would be setting soon after sunset and two of the others would be visible only with optical aid. It always sounds so much more interesting than it turns out to be.

    Instead of watching the parade of planets, I decided to watch an occultation instead. Io, one of Jupiter’s moons was going to be disappearing behind the planet. I always enjoy seeing an object in space moving in real time! The occultation of a star that is light years away will be almost instantaneous. The star is a mere pinprick of light, gone as soon as it passes behind whatever covers it. When a planet’s moon crosses behind the planet, it might take a few minutes for it to completely disappear since the moon is an actual disc that we can see through a telescope. The increased time makes the movement that much more obvious and that much more exciting.

    The day was clear but of course as evening approached, while I was setting up my telescope in the front yard, patches of clouds started drifting in. The majority of the sky was clear but this is Pittsburgh, I knew that the sky will be covered soon. 

    After everything was set up I watched Jupiter and its moons. Io was close to the planet and on the far side, Callisto sat a bit further away. Ganymede and Europa sat further out on either side. With Io disappearing behind the planet and Callisto soon to be crossing in front of it, I could imagine how they were all orbiting the planet. The seeing was steady and I was able to add a doubler to the eyepiece to increase power without getting any distortion.

    Io slowly got closer and closer as I watched until it seemed to touch the planet’s surface. Clouds came and went as I watched and they actually helped me out. The planet’s disc was bright yellow and the moon was both smaller and a fainter orange. The brightness of the planet made it difficult to accurately see the moon as it neared. The clouds would change the color of the planet to grey and as the color faded, the moon became easier to see. This helped when the moon’s disc was partially covered! I thought a couple times that the moon had disappeared only to see it again as the seeing changed. 

    The moon was drifting behind the planet in line with northern cloud band. It was sometime after 7:29 that I lost sight of it. I then turned the telescope to the moon and enjoyed just roaming across the lunar landscape. The craters alongside the terminator were exciting to explore.

    I was wearing only a sweatshirt and the temperature was dropping. The clouds were also increasing so I decided it was time to call it quits. I didn’t need a flashlight to tear my set-up down. The moon was 93% illuminated; I could see my shadow as I was carrying things into the house.

    I missed the planetary parade, but then again, I wasn’t out there to see it. I saw the event I wanted to see and the clouds held off, for the most part, until I was tearing things down. My neighbors generously left their porch lights off and no cars drove by, shining their lights on me. I talked with some of them as they walked their dog and got to pet him for a bit. Petting the dog was "almost" as exciting as watching the moon disappear.

    All in all, not a bad way to end a short month! Come on March, bring it on!

First Observations of the New Year

 

This evening, (6:50PM, 1/2/26) I went outside to see if I could see a pass of the Chinese space Station, Tiangong. Surprisingly, the sky was clear. We have had quite a lot of cloudy nights lately. The temperature was hovering just under 20°, so I made sure to dress appropriately.

    The pass was going to be low to my horizon and there was a good chance that I’d miss it. Going out to watch these passes have always excited me, no matter what the temperature is, so I had decided to give it a try! I walked up and down the street watching for it to skim over my neighbor’s houses but as expected, the space station couldn’t be seen.

(both pictures above courtesy of the internet) 

    The bright full moon was casting shadows in front of me. I turned around and looked at it for a couple minutes. I couldn’t help but notice the “Rabbit in the moon”. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t help but notice it. I had always seen the “Man in the Moon”, until the rabbit was shown to me and now, it’s tough for me to see anything else.

    With my binoculars I looked at Jupiter which was rising below the moon, still hanging in the trees above the horizon, and then Saturn which was hanging high in the sky off towards the west. I looked at a couple other bright stars and attempted to see Orion but it was still too low, hidden by the trees or else, maybe it was the light of the moon and my poor eyes. I’d have to come out later to see it, once it rises a bit higher in the sky.

    I considered bringing a telescope outside, but knowing how my back has been acting, I decided against it. No heavy weights right now. I took a couple pictures of the moon and then returned inside to my nice warm house.

    I was only out for about a half hour, but it was enough for the cold to set in. Still, even though I was cold, I was happy; I got my first observations of the year! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more clear skies in the future! And now, since I’m warmed up again, I think I’ll go back outside and take another look for Orion!

Book Notes 2025

 I enjoy taking notes; but in fact, it is sometimes necessary that I take them. As the years accumulate my memory is dwindling. Remembering things has always been difficult for me, especially if it is something important. The need to remember often causes me to forget; how that works I don’t know but it does. If the facts aren’t important, they tend to stick in my head, the critical ones are the ones that slip away soon after I hear them.

    In astronomy, it is important to take notes. You always want to be able to look back to see exactly when it was that you discovered a comet or saw that nova! (Ha-ha) In reality, it is good to keep notes since you often look back to check things or just to relive moments. I have gone through my astronomy journals many times to determine how long ago it has been since I saw a certain feature on the moon or last saw an occultation or an eclipse. Dates and years aren’t one of the things that stick in my mind and I envy people who have that ability.

    Like astronomy, I also keep notes on my reading life. I compose a list each year of the books I’ve read. The list is simple, the name of the book, the author, the date the book was published and when I read it. I also include a brief description and a rating. The rating is simply 1 through 5, with 5 being the best.

    To determine the rating I consider a couple things. Most important of all, did I enjoy reading it? The ability of the author to tell their story is important also. Another thing is whether or not the subject matter is exciting to me. I’d much rather read a book about trains than one about brain surgery.

    Looking over my list, I see that in 2025 I’ve marked 17 books as 5’s. That is approximately 17%, one out of every 5 or 6 books I've read was a good one, not bad. So, without any further mathematics here are the books I enjoyed most during this past year. They are listed in order as they were read. I hope you see a couple that excite you and prompt you to visit your local bookstore or library. Please, continue to support both of these establishments, they are so important in today’s world!

 

1) The Upstairs Delicatessen by Dwight Garner – (NF) 2023      Reading and eating what goes better together? This is a humorous collection of stories centered around the author and food.

2) Joyland by Stephen King – (F) 2013       It is a mystery, a “horror” story and a coming-of-age story taking place at a beach side amusement park. I’ve always enjoyed books and stories about carnivals and amusement parks. I've read this book numerous times!

3) The Briar Club by Kate Quin – (F) 2024              The book tells about a group of women living in a boarding house outside of Washington DC. during the McCarthy era. At first, they hardly know each other but as the years go by, they form friendships and bonds. There is a chance that one of them might be a spy…

 

4) The Last American Road Trip by Sarah Kendzior - (NF) 2025   The author writes about how she and her husband took their kids on road trips to see the country. The parents wanted to show their kids what America is like now, afraid that it will be swiftly changing. The trips were taken around the Covid pandemic but despite numerous problems the family visited almost all of the states, stopping in National Parks and historic sites. At times it gets a bit political, but it is the journeys that I enjoyed most.

5) Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire - (NF) 2022           The author worked for a decade at a London bookstore that specialized in rare books. In his book he tells about the eccentric staff and customers, the shop ghost and some interesting tales about getting and selling these old tomes. He planned on only staying for a bit but the store ended up growing on him.  Books about books and bookstores are another of my loves!

6) Becoming by Michele Obama - (NF) 2018          The former First Lady tells about her childhood, her education and her work experiences, along with her life with Barack. The book told me more about a woman I always have admired.

 

7) Ready Player One by Ernest Kline - (F) 2011  In the year 2044, people are constantly immersed in computer simulation. While the world is on the brink of collapse, people spend their time in OASIS, a made-up virtual reality universe. There is a search for a digital Easter egg hidden in this world that could provide unbelievable wealth and fame. It is a great adventure story.

8) Free Ride by Noraly Schoenmaker - (NF) 2024 This is the story of the author's motorcycle ride from India back to her home in Holland. Riding over 20,000 miles, she rides solo discovering new friends, beautiful vistas and herself, finding her inner strength and fortitude. I think I enjoyed it because I always wanted to take a long motorcycle trip but never did.

9) The Red Notebook by Antone Laurain - (F) 2014         A French bookseller finds a purse on the street and attempts to find its owner. Inside is a red notebook with her writings in it and perhaps some clues as to who owns it. The book is a nice simple love story!

  

10) The Lion Woman of Tehran by Marjan Kamali – (F) 2024  The story of two girls who become friends while growing up in Tehran, going through both personal and political turmoil, and how their lives changed as they grew.

11) High Contrast by Ian Thomas Healy – (F) 2016   A collection of short stories, some rather odd… but all enjoyable! It is a variety of things, a little science fiction, a little horror, and even a post-apocalyptic story. One of the 8 stories is about a man whose teeth start falling out, for no reason. Try the book out, you might find it interesting, I sure did!

12) Elevation by Stephen King – (F) 2018   A man starts losing weight yet retains his same height and shape. He just keeps getting lighter and lighter. How far will it go? Sort of like the book before, a little odd, but a fun read!

 

13) The End of the World as We Know it by Assorted Authors – (F) 2025   These stories are continuations of Stephen King’s book, The Stand, fan fiction.  I enjoyed almost all of the stories. Like so many collections, it wasn’t perfect, but I still enjoyed it enough to give it a 5 and, it also enticed me to re-read the next book on my list.

14) The Stand by Stephen King – (F) 1978             Truly a classic good versus evil book. A man escapes from a secret government laboratory, infected with a deadly flu. With-in a few weeks, 99% of the world’s population has died. Two people arise to become leaders, one good and the other evil. There are two versions of the book available, the original release with about 800 pages and the re-released version with about 1200 pages. I’ve read both versions, more than once, this time through; it was the larger version! If you haven’t read it, please try it!

15) Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – (F) 2025             This is the fictional story of a woman who is accepted into the space program to become an astronaut, working in the shuttle program. It tells about her training and her fellow astronauts, both men and women. In the long run, it is a love story. I enjoyed it because of my love of astronomy and the space program and how the details were pretty accurate. Sometimes all it takes is one thing to swing a 4 up to a 5!

16) 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff – (NF) 1970   The author Helene and a London bookseller corresponded for 20 years, getting to know each other only through the mail. It started with a search for rare books she couldn’t easily get in New York City. Over time the correspondence grew to include the other workers at the store and families. It is a wonderful book about the love of books, caring, friendship and the passage of time. This is another book that I’ve read many times! Re-reading books is like visiting with good friends!

17) Starlight Nights by Leslie C. Peltier – (NF) 1965    What an excellent book to end my list! Leslie wrote this book telling about his history of observing. He observed not only stars and comets, of which he discovered 12, but also the nature surrounding him, birds, insects and even rocks and minerals. In his astronomy life he found 6 novas and made over 130,000 variable star observations. His book is written in an easy going way, explaining things in a way that you don’t even realize that you’re learning. He tells about his first telescope and listening to the nocturnal animals and insects as he used it. He takes us on trips to go camping and searching for mineral specimens. In his final chapter, in 1965, he talks about a new form of light pollution that has started to enter his skies, that caused by satellites. I’d hate to think what he would say if he saw today’s skies! This book makes me want to go out and observe the world! A boy from Ohio, born at the very start of the 1900’s, (January 2, 1900) Leslie became one of the most renowned amateur astronomers in the United States.

His book has been republished a couple times but you’ll have to pay lots to get one now. The Allegheny County Library didn’t have a copy in their system but they found a copy I could borrow, from Augusta, Maine! (I love what our libraries do for us!)

It is rather apropos that Leslie Peltier’s book ends my list. His life was spent recording what he saw. He took many notes and made many lists during his long life and by doing so; he set a wonderful example for the rest of us. Don’t be ashamed to take out your pen and paper to scribble a note on it, it just might help you out at a later date!

As I said before, if a book on this list struck your fancy, stop into your local bookstore and inquire if they have it or can get it for you. The public library is also a wonderful tool that is available to everyone. Make use of it, take your kids or your grandchildren there and spend an hour or two… just exploring!

Fingers Crossed

 (1/13/25, Noon) 

Coming back from the eye doctor’s office, the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. My eyes had been dilated and I was wearing those stylish plastic sunglasses that are held in place by placing them behind your glasses. The dark tint enhanced the color of the sky! I couldn’t help but get my hopes up, even though I knew better! I had tried to find three geocaches earlier in the morning but couldn’t find any of them. The fourth that I had in my GPS…I decided to ignore, it just wasn’t my day.

    Later this evening, the moon will pass in front of the red planet Mars, an occultation. I have been looking forward to seeing this for a month or two but I have been trying not to think about it. By getting excited about this would make it an even larger let-down when the clouds move in. I know what Pittsburgh weather is like, believe me!

    Astronomical occultations are when one heavenly body, such as the moon, passes in front of another stellar object. These are things that I look forward to; I find that it is exciting to see actual movement of a stellar object in real time. The stars and planets are all moving but rarely is it as obvious as when you are watching through a pair of binoculars or a telescope and can see the two objects getting closer, and closer together. The moon frequently occults stars but they are usually faint and harder to watch. The moons of Jupiter are often occulted by the planet and that also is exciting to watch. I find it fascinating that someone was able to calculate when these events would be happening!

 This evening’s moon will be full so it will be extremely bright.  Mars is easy to see in the night sky but sitting very close to the moon will make it difficult to see without some optical aid. By using a telescope with a drive on it, hopefully I will be able to use a powerful enough eyepiece so that only a small portion of the moon’s bright surface will be visible.

    I have started making my list of things to take with me. I find that by making a list, there will be less chance of forgetting something important. There is nothing worse than driving for a long distance and discovering one of the most important things I wanted to bring was left at home. I’ve done it before; my camera memory left sitting in the computer or batteries left in the charger, these lists help me, considerably!

    It is going to be cold, so I'll need to dress for that. I’ll bring along a hot beverage and maybe a snack.  My journal and a couple pens, the camera, binoculars and my eyepieces are just a few more of the things on my list. It will continue to grow as the day wears on.

    The sky is still clear, not a cloud to be seen…eight more hours to go. My fingers are crossed!

(Written 1/14/24, 9:00AM)

    Well. Let me tell you about last night. I prepared for a night at our clubs observatory by dressing for the occasion. I wore long underwear, top and bottoms, heavy socks over my regular socks, a winter jacket, gloves and a nice thick alpaca tousle cap to keep my head warm. All the gear I had on my list was in the car, and it was almost time to leave. 

    The moon was rising from behind the trees on the far side of the valley, there were no clouds in the sky at all, things were looking good! There was one more thing to do before hitting the road, watch the International Space Station pass over my neighbor’s houses.

    It was just past 6 and the sky was cloudless. I set up my camera and waited. In less than a minute, I saw it coming from behind one house and rising up to pass over another. A couple neighbors passed by and I pointed the satellite out to them. I’m not sure how excited they were, but I was!

    A quick stop was made for a large cup of coffee and then a drive through the countryside followed. The moon was getting higher and it was easy to see the scenery on the sides of the road. Mars could be seen sitting below the moon whenever I stopped to look.

    A fellow club member, Jody was at the observatory when I arrived. Together we opened the roof and exposed the telescope to the cold air, Eric showed up soon after. 

    Using the Brashear 11” refractor, I pointed it first at Venus. It appeared to be about 50% illuminated. After a quick look we moved the scope over to Saturn. This was a much more important view as far as I was concerned. The planet is just a couple months away from when its rings will appear edge on.

     I couldn't help it, I was ecstatic...the view was spectacular! The seeing was nice and steady. A couple light bands could be seen crossing the planet, but the most exciting thing was its rings. 

    The planets rings appeared like two golden bars on either side of the planets disc. Just below the bars was a thin black line crossing the planet, what I am guessing was the rings shadow. (Excuse the poor drawing, I wish I could’ve gotten a picture!) Off to the side was the largest of its moons, Titan.

  The brightness of the moon lit up the interior of the observatory, the red lights were useless this evening!

    The moon rose up over the observatory’s roof about 30 minutes before the occultation was due to happen. I put a high power eyepiece into the focuser and centered it on Mars. (14mm, 295X) We were able to see the markings on the planet’s surface and the northern ice cap. During periods of extreme clarity we were able to glimpse the southern cap as well.  

    As I watched, the moon eventually entered into the eyepieces field of view. Just a small section but as I watched, it got closer and increased its size in the eyepiece. Slowly it got closer and closer. As it neared, it seemed to increase in speed though this was just an illusion. This effect was really noticeable when the moon was only a “planet diameter” or two away from Mars. It was there one moment and gone the next. It was dramatic watching the planet as it was cut in half and then disappeared behind the moon!

    Yells and high fives were shared after it happened!

    I thought how amazing it was to see this planet, looking so small beside our moon, which looked so big. Mars is about half the size of the earth!  Mars is about 61 million miles away from us while the moon is only about 239,000 miles away. Quite a difference!

    Jody and Eric left soon afterwards but I stayed to watch the reappearance. Approximately an hour and 13 minutes later the planet showed up again, just as predicted.

    I then shifted the scope over to look at the planet Jupiter. The planets moon, Europa was nearing the planet. I watched as it finally appeared to touch the planets disc and then cross over in front of it. It “touched” Jupiter in nearly the same spot as Mars had disappeared behind the moon. In a weird kind of way, it was as if I was watching the event all over again. I watched until the moon had completely crossed onto the planets face, a bright dot sitting below one of the colored bands decorating the planet’s surface. Then I updated my journal and started to close things down.

    The temperature was a balmy 19° as I loaded my car. The wind made it feel even colder.

    Driving home I was almost tempted to turn off my headlights since the moon was so bright. (But I didn’t!!) The day had started out badly but it sure had taken a turn for the better!  The Pittsburgh weather gods had smiled on us all this evening! I finally uncrossed my fingers as I pulled up in front of my house.

“To see an occultation during a night of observing is sort of like putting a dollop of vanilla ice cream on a slice of warm apple pie, oh…so comforting!”

Patience

 Looking over some of my photos, giving them a good critique, one of the things I find myself guilty of is the lack of patience, the failure to wait until the “right” moment to snap a picture. While I am happy with most of my pictures, I’ve come to realize that they could have been even better if I had just waited a bit longer before pressing the shutter.

    Patience is a difficult thing to acquire I’ve found. In a typical scene, I see something that looks exciting; I get the camera, focus and snap the picture, possibly even a few times. If I had waited a bit, the sun may have changed its position, a cloud might have moved over or from the sun, changing the shadows or the amount of contrast. Sometimes waiting will result in different colors or the subject might be in a better position. Perhaps a person might walk into the scene, giving it more of a human element rather than a plain static shot.

    Using a bit of patience might involve taking a walk around the subject, looking to see if there isn’t a better angle to shoot from or to see if there are any interesting patterns that might make it a better picture, rather than my first thought.

    When using a larger format or film camera patience is very important. These cameras limit your possible exposures as compared to using a digital camera. With the 4x5 Speed Graphic, I usually only carry two holders with me, (four sheets of film)  I don’t want to waste one (or more) of these negatives. The cost of film photography is also higher than when using a digital camera, all the more reason to be patient when lining up a photograph.

    Taking the time to go over all the settings, the f stop, the shutter speed, the composition. Is the camera steady and straight?  Take a look around at the scene, these are all things worth double checking. Patience, I have to recheck all the vital details before I take the plunge and push the plunger. Is this really what I want to take a picture of? Give it a second thought…

    Stepping back and looking at everything, doing a mental checklist will help me get a better picture. Making sure everything is correct before hitting the shutter button is worth the wait, it will help avoid disappointment later on!

    Needless to say, that anticipation may cause a bit of a problem with this concept. The excitement of creating another picture, the anticipation of another "wonderful photograph" that has almost been taken, all I need to do is click the shutter! This will probably be followed by the disappointment of seeing what I rushed into.

    This habit comes in handy with both photography and astronomy; sometimes we have no choice except to be patient. The rain will eventually go away and the sky will clear up.

    Of course, it goes without saying that these practices also come in handy in regular life also! Taking our time with the things we do, no rushing through our tasks, taking pride in our jobs. Patience is also an important part of dealing with the people we meet and interact with, both friends and strangers alike. The outcome of all our endeavors, from photography, astronomy, friendships to driving on the roads will definitely turn out better if we exercise just a little bit of patience!

What Can We Do This Weekend?

 Nothing planned for the upcoming weekend, are you looking for something to do? Let me give you a couple ideas…

    Foremost on my list are the two star parties being held by the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, (AAAP) at the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park. On  Friday and Saturday nights, the 28^th and 29^th of April, the club members will have a variety of telescopes set up on the observatory grounds and the two permanently mounted scopes will be open for viewing also.

    The bright planet Venus will be one of the objects viewed along with the moon, double stars and galaxies. If you’ve never been to a star party, this is your chance! If you’ve been to one in the past, come on back! You can’t beat the price, it’s free!

    For more information about the AAAP and the star parties, go to;

3AP.ORG

    The second item on this short list is that Saturday April 28^th is Independent Bookstore Day!  While you are out and about during the day, stop into your favorite independent bookstore. Many of the store will be having special events to celebrate the day.

    Before we go up to Wagman, we will be stopping at City Books, located on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Open from 11 to 5, they will have along with their great selection of used books (and new), Haley Clancy who will be composing poems for interested customers. She types them on her typewriter as she creates them, each one an individual one-of-a-kind poem.

    For more information on City Books, go to;

CityBooksPgh.com

    Support your local bookstores, they bring both knowledge and class to our neighborhoods! If you happen to visit City Books or come up to the star parties, keep an eye out for me. I’d love to see you there!

“There are stores that enrich the streets with their presence, and the most precious of them are the shops that sells old books!”

― Mehmet Murat ildan

Star Party Season is Almost Here!

If you are at all like me, you remember the two bright objects, very close to each other, in the western skies a few weeks ago. They weren’t stars, they were planets. The brighter one of the two was Venus and the fainter one, Jupiter. Since then, Jupiter is neared the horizon in the evening skies while Venus still stands strong in the twilight.

    Did you know that the planet Uranus will be close to the bright planet Venus towards the end of the month? You can see the pair from your backyard, use binoculars to see the fainter Uranus, OR, you can come up to the Wagman Observatory and see them there.

    The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will be holding star parties on the last day of March, (the 31^st) and the first of April. (no joke!) Being held at the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park, the club members will show you these objects and many others during the nights. Star parties are held in the warmer (?) months of the year. The March/April parties will be the start of the 2023 Star Party Season.

    The club holds these events to allow the general public to come and look through the telescopes belonging to the club and its members. There are two permanently mounted scopes at the observatory, an 11” refractor built by the prominent Pittsburgh optician John Brashear (above) and a 21” reflector. The mirror for the reflector was made by the same company that John Brashear founded over a century ago. (We are a very Pittsburgh oriented club!)

    There is no charge for these parties; they are open to anyone who wants to see more of the sky above them. Bring the family, please! The observatory is in a darker portion of the county and almost everyone will see many more stars than at home in their light polluted neighborhoods.

    Are you thinking about getting a telescope and aren’t sure how to go about doing it, not sure what kind or what size to get? There are lots of options available. At a star party there are always a variety of scopes, different styles and sizes, you can browse among them and see how the views differ and ask the owners what their opinions are.

    Have you recently gotten a telescope and aren’t sure how to set it up or how to use it? Bring it with you and chances are someone will be there that can give you a hand or some advice. Ask at the desk to see if someone can help you. Just setting up a scope will bring club members over to see what you have! You can also join the club if you're interested!

    The kids enjoy being able to look through the scopes and seeing planets they’ve read and learned about. There are a couple programs available for the kids to participate in. Those between 2^nd and 6^th grades can work on the Passport to the Universe Program. They are given a passport and the idea is to find the various astronomical things listed in it. After finding them, they are awarded a certificate and a book. For the older kids there is the Junior Messier Program. After finding some things a little bit harder, they also can get an award and a certificate. Club members are happy to help them find the objects they are searching for.

    Weather permitting, (a big condition here in Pittsburgh) during these star parties, we will be able to see Jupiter and Mercury, very close to the western horizon. They will be setting soon after sunset. Higher in the sky will be Venus and beside it, the planet Uranus. Since Uranus is so much dimmer than the brilliant Venus, you’ll probably need some binoculars or a telescope to see it. Club members will direct you to it, it won’t be hard to find, especially when you have a bright planet to lead you to it!

    Chances are, the moon will be the first thing the telescopes will be pointing towards, since you can easily see it while the sky is still bright. As the sky darkens, Venus and Uranus will come under scrutiny by the observers. Then things such as Mars, Orion and it’s nebula, star clusters, galaxies and double stars. If we are lucky, we will see a pass or two of the International Space Station or maybe the Chinese space station, Tiangong. There is also the possibility of seeing a couple “falling stars”. You never know what you might see at a star party till you get there and see for yourself. That’s part of the fun of them, what new things will I see tonight?

    Bring your binoculars; you’ll be amazed at how much you can see with them! Leave your flashlights at home, the moon will be providing more than enough light to see. Bright lights are frowned upon because the darker the area is, the easier it is to see the fainter objects and to see more details. So being, please, turn off your car headlights as you enter the grounds.

    For more information about star parties or the A.A.A.P., click here, 3AP.Org. Directions to the clubs two observatories can be found there along with the dates of future star parties. If the weather looks doubtful, call the observatory (724- 224-2510) to see if the party is still on. Inclement weather, clouds, rain or snow will be cause to cancel the event.

    It is a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night, after a hard week of work, relaxing under the stars in the fresh air. Best thing of all…it’s free!

    If you come, look me up. Hope to see ya there!

Astronomical Pittsburgh - 1996

 Sorting through slides taken over the years, I came across a small box with the title “Ast Pgh”.  Opening it, I found a batch of slides I had taken in the mid 90’s. They were of places with astronomical names. Many of these places no longer exist. How many do you remember?

The streets are still there, so let’s start out with them.

Brashear Street, named after John Brashear, is in Point Breeze.

Telescope Street in the city’s Southside, not far from where John and Phoebe Brashear lived.

Jupiter Drive in Hampton Township.

Moving into the planets, I started by visiting the Venus Diner in Hampton Township. It has since been moved to another location, possibly in another state.

Then I visited the town of Mars! I always thought this historic sign was interesting since it states the town was named after the star Mars, not the planet…

and what would a visit to Mars be without seeing the UFO?

The planetary visits stopped with Pluto’s, in the Strip District. Pluto is no longer a planet and Pluto’s is no longer a nightclub.

Moving into the stars, there was Starlite Classics located in Wilkinsburg,

and Star Discounts on the main street in Lawrenceville.

Star Tile And Marble was in Aspinwall.

The Starlite Lounge was in Blawnox,

and less than a block away is Moondog’s.

The Comet News was in Braddock, and finally,

here’s a picture that was taken on that same roll of slides,

a comet flying over Wagman Observatory…1996, it was a fun year!