Dialing up the StarsWe are creatures of the day…The gifts of We are creatures of the day…The gifts of night are less tangible. The night does not night are less tangible. The night does not come with fruits and flowers and bread and come with fruits and flowers and bread and meat; it comes with stars and stardust, with meat; it comes with stars and stardust, with

mystery and nirvana.mystery and nirvana.

John Burroughs

Have you ever wondered…

… …why we sleep at night? Could it be that why we sleep at night? Could it be that we are uncomfortable with facing the we are uncomfortable with facing the anguish of the uncertainty that night brings? anguish of the uncertainty that night brings? The haunting doubts that darkness stirs The haunting doubts that darkness stirs awakened primeval tensions that were awakened primeval tensions that were inherited from some distance ancestor who inherited from some distance ancestor who faced the blackness with the incessant faced the blackness with the incessant question, “Will I survive to bask again in question, “Will I survive to bask again in the warmth and light of the sun?”the warmth and light of the sun?”

Over time…

… …some of us have made our peace with the some of us have made our peace with the darkness that overwhelms the faint sentinels darkness that overwhelms the faint sentinels set in the black velvet night cover. As Chet set in the black velvet night cover. As Chet Raymo observes, some of us are darkness Raymo observes, some of us are darkness lovers. lovers.

“Who goes abroad at night?

The glowworm trailing phosphorescence. The The glowworm trailing phosphorescence. The whippoorwill and the cuckoo, self-announcing. whippoorwill and the cuckoo, self-announcing. The bullfrog and the cricket, contrapuntal, out of The bullfrog and the cricket, contrapuntal, out of tune. The hedgehog is abroad, with spikes tipped tune. The hedgehog is abroad, with spikes tipped with stars. The woodcock, in flirtatious circles. with stars. The woodcock, in flirtatious circles. The slug and the snail on threads of slime. And The slug and the snail on threads of slime. And astronomers. When the sun goes down astronomers. When the sun goes down astronomers rise into their element like shades and astronomers rise into their element like shades and badgers.”badgers.”

An astronomer is not a special kind of human; every human is a special kind of

astronomer. Welcome to years of sleepless nights . Enjoy the nightlife!

To make the star dial To make the star dial seem real be sure you seem real be sure you observe the features of observe the features of your own backyard your own backyard surroundings. surroundings.

Be sure of the Be sure of the compass directions as compass directions as they relate to your they relate to your own horizon.own horizon.

Carefully examine the Carefully examine the night sky. Notice how night sky. Notice how the dome of the sky is the dome of the sky is centered on you.centered on you.

When we stand When we stand beneath the great beneath the great dome of the sky, we dome of the sky, we enjoy a panoramic enjoy a panoramic view from side to side view from side to side and up from the and up from the ground to the top of ground to the top of the sky, bounded only the sky, bounded only by the range of our by the range of our vision.vision.

To see the sky behind To see the sky behind us in this panoramic us in this panoramic view and from top to view and from top to bottom requires that bottom requires that we turn around and we turn around and face the opposite face the opposite direction.direction.

It is a satisfying thought to be the center of the universe. Enjoy it while you Enjoy it while you

can!! can!! BECAUSE……BECAUSE…… CRASH!CRASH!

Now that the heavens Now that the heavens have been brought have been brought down to earth, our use down to earth, our use of the model will of the model will require that we make a require that we make a mental transition from mental transition from reality to the model we reality to the model we will use.will use.

Remember the Remember the “outside” view of the “outside” view of the outdoors outdoors does not does not exist!exist! No one has ever No one has ever reached the horizon to reached the horizon to view the total sky view the total sky from this vantage from this vantage point.point.

There is no reality to There is no reality to the horizon. No one the horizon. No one has ever held it in their has ever held it in their hand. It is a mental hand. It is a mental construction we create construction we create to make sense of our to make sense of our experience.experience.

We are looking down We are looking down on our collapsed dome on our collapsed dome with north rotated to with north rotated to the top of our sky the top of our sky chart.chart.

To use the star chart, To use the star chart, remember you can remember you can only view the only view the panoramic half you are panoramic half you are facing.facing.

This view is limited by This view is limited by our ability to only look our ability to only look up from the horizon to up from the horizon to the top of the sky, the the top of the sky, the center of the star dial.center of the star dial.

You are facing east orYou are facing east or

you are facing north oryou are facing north or

you are facing west oryou are facing west or

you are facing southyou are facing south

Important!!

In this class overhead will mean the top of In this class overhead will mean the top of the sky or the technical term, zenith.the sky or the technical term, zenith.

In everyday language overhead may be In everyday language overhead may be used to describe the location of the ceiling used to describe the location of the ceiling above the floor in your house.above the floor in your house.

Overhead will now be used to describe a Overhead will now be used to describe a specific point in the sky.specific point in the sky.

As you encounter…

……the dark night, randomly decorated with the dark night, randomly decorated with its luminous sentinels from your backyard its luminous sentinels from your backyard outpost, remember that you, like those outpost, remember that you, like those humans that came this way before, carry humans that came this way before, carry with you two very powerful tools. You with you two very powerful tools. You bring to your backyard a telescope, your bring to your backyard a telescope, your eyes, and a computer, your mind. Turn your eyes, and a computer, your mind. Turn your equipment, your head, on….look up!equipment, your head, on….look up!

Though my soul may be set in darkness, it Though my soul may be set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

Epitaph of Augustus Baldwin LongstreetSt Peter’s CemeteryOxford, Mississippi

Credits

Larry Mascotti – Intellectual designLarry Mascotti – Intellectual design Bob Snyder – PowerPoint design and Bob Snyder – PowerPoint design and

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