dipper@utastro.UUCP (09/07/84)
Even if you don't live in the country, you can still do astronomy. We'll talk about stargazing from the city -- in just a moment. September 6: A Place Under the Stars Where's the best place to do astronomy? Well, everyone knows that stars seen from the city look fainter than they really are. Their light is obscured by a glittering multitude of street lights, neon signs, and car headlights. But you can still do astronomy from the city. You can see planets, which are often brighter than stars. You can watch the changing face of the moon. And you can mark the passing seasons by the movement of the brightest stars across the dome of night. If you live in a city, try a rooftop for stargazing or your backyard, if you have one. Remember that you'll see more stars while standing in a shadow than under the direct glare of a streetlight. Country dwellers should remember that, too -- although their backyards are bound to be darker than those of city dwellers. The best place to watch the stars is from the country, where you can also observe other natural phenomena, such as the zodiacal light, the green flash, and the shadow of the planet Earth. Even better than just plain country is the country on top of a mountain. The less of Earth's atmosphere between you and the stars, the more you'll see. That's why observatories locate themselves on mountaintops. The next logical step is to avoid the atmosphere altogether -- and to stargaze from outer space. In 1986, the Space Telescope will be launched. It'll provide the best view yet of the universe around us. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin