When was the last time you went outside in the dark and looked up? If you follow this blog, one thing I insist on, is that you look up more than you did before you started to follow my work. It’s not a high price to pay. Now if you live in an area flooded with artificial lights, your going to need to get out to the country a few times to get a good view of what nature has to offer.
Dig your binoculars out and look at the moon, see if you can find Jupiter or watch a meteor shower. Learn a constellation or two. I know several people who have telescopes to look at mountains, or binoculars to observe the occasional wild animal that ventures out of cover, but how many of them have pointed their optics up to the heavens? Those of us who love nature shouldn’t limit our experiences to those below the upper atmosphere.
It’s amazing to see the look on the face of somebody who’s never seen the moon through a pair of binoculars. Its always been there, so why haven’t they looked before?
What I’m trying to do is plant the seeds of science, tap into your natural curiosities.
November is when the Leonids make their annual appearance. Your best chance to see a falling star (meteors) can be at this short time. From what I can find, around November 17th is the night to be looking up. Although the best time is early in the morning on the 18th, I’m sure some will be observable the night of the 17th. Many will be faint, but at least you can say you participated and were successful.
One of my favorite memories of my youth is of a night when my whole family slept out in the front lawn without a tent. We lived in the country and the view was spectacular. It was one of those evenings that are rare in the summer: clear and warm. Other than the view, the two things I remember the most are: the conversations we had before we went to sleep, and the awe that swept over me as I remained awake while my family slept.
Teach your kids to look up.
To find out more about the Leonids, check out the link below.
