The Astronut


July 2020, UP Michigan

  • Alexander Berger Preserve
  • Potomac River, Dec 2020
  • Morning Glory, fall 2020
  • Morning Glory, fall 2020
  • Morning Glory, fall 2020
  • Lake Michigan, July 2020
  • James River State Park
  • Pear Tree, spring 2020
  • Grand Canyon, July 2019
  • Myrtle Beach, June 2013
  • Rappahannock, Jan 2024
  • Purple Irises, May 2024
  • Winter Walk, December 2017
  • Interests:  Astronomy, classical music, history, German cars, cycling

    Observing Projects and Astronomy Lists

    • From November 2017 through March 2019, I completed the Herschel 400 list (the first one).  It was a great observing project, and was the first time I undertook a sustained program of observing a substantial "list".  I did a Messier marathon in March of 2009, but didn't make a written record of the night's observing.  My observing notes of the Herschel 400 first list all the constellations with the number of objects, as well as the number of objects I observed by date; linked to that are two versions of my observations, by constellation and then chronologically.
    • Starting in January 2020, I began the Herschel 400ii list with an observing session in eastern North Carolina at a dark site on the Pamlico Sound.  My second session was on the Blue Ridge Parkway in mid February 2020.  The results will be updated as I work through the list, but who knows how long that will take?  My first impressions are that the objects on the second list are an entire level of difficulty beyond those on the first list.
    • My favorite double stars.
    • Summary of Mars oppositions from 1960 to 2054.
    • Charts of interesting planetary alignments over time.
    • Orion versus Southern Cross!

    Astro-Imaging Pages

    Other Stuff

    • The only cars I've ever owned are Volkswagens (3 of those) and Audis (2 of those), but I like other cars too.
    • Not only do I like telescopes, but microscopes can be fun as well.  What should we look at under my microscope?
    • Spring in Virginia offers plenty of flowers and blossoms on fruit trees:

       

    2024 Astro Art Contest Winner

    Congratulations to Laney Jenkins on winning our astro-art contest with her painting of an aurora filled sky ~ very appropriate for this solar maximum year of 2024:

     

     

    Send me email at astronuts@verizon.net.

     

    Last updated October 3, 2024