 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group What's Up [There]? Gary Taylor |
Fifty years ago I noticed a brilliant star, low down in the South West sky
soon after the wintry sun had set. I asked my mother what it was and she said it was "The Pole Star, because
that's the brightest star in the sky". I knew enough to dismiss this reply as ridiculous - at latitude 54
degrees North the Pole Star should have been much higher up in the sky. Then I began in earnest to teach
myself astronomy and learn my way around the night sky. That bright star turned out to be the planet Venus. I
had no access to computers and no teacher except the very elementary books in the local library.
A few years later I was a student, in charge of the school observatory, gave lectures to fellow amateur
astronomers and made sunspot and occultation records to send to Greenwich Observatory to help their research.
I owned a refractor that I made using a five-shilling 2-inch non-achromatic lens and Huyghenian eyepiece
taped into a piece of cardboard tubing. With this apology for a telescope I could see double stars, nebulae,
galaxies, Jupiter's moons, the Alpine Valley and Domes on the Moon, occultations, and could study the spectra
of the brightest stars. A side study of the mythology of the constellations led me to produce a slide show
for sale to schools and societies. This show used my drawings plus photographs of suitable images issued
originally as postage stamps; no scanners in those days! Going into the workforce was an easy jolt once I
chose to do a permanent night shift.
Often I came across references to astrology and mythology plus deep philosophical dissertations on cosmogony
and cosmology. So many "-ologies" that eventually I placed all this data into storage for perusal at a later
time when I might know enough to discard or save it. Because of my deep love and insatiable appetite for
astronomy I read and absorbed vast amounts of information, both academic and practical, in the fields of
physics, maths, chemistry, lexicology, ancient civilisations, religions, humanities and so on. In later years
these led on to arcane and esoteric studies in alchemy and mysticism and quantum physics. The penny finally
dropped when I realised that all studies have a common link, that no knowledge or training or studying is
ever wasted. Viewing the heavens with the naked eye becomes a lasting joy and costs zero except for warm
clothing in winter. Viewing with binoculars will keep anyone busy for years and using a modest telescope
means a lifetime of fun and a growing sense of wonder.
Today there is never a dull moment or wasted time, because the availability of computers plus the Internet
means that a 24-hour smorgasbord awaits anyone who has this technology. A sadist astronomer is one who is
kind to a masochist astronomer - the person who logs into the Net and checks out "Astronomy Picture of the
Day" at
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html and then clicks on all the links on that page. The next
punishing joy is to click on the home page of "Astronomical Society of Victoria (Australia)" at http://www.gsat.net.au/astrovic/
Not an enticing page but the links are excellent and one can see what is visible in the night sky for the
current month, find out when the next free lecture is on, as well as check out the local Astronomical
Societies at Frankston and other places. There are links to world sites, magazines and software.
Much free software is available for astronomy fiends and plenty for those who are willing to pay for the
programs. The freeware is superb and will give years of fun and help to both beginners and advanced amateurs.
Free courses are available via the Net - even free books such as "Discovering Astronomy" at
http://kuphsx2.phsx.ukans.edu/~shawl/astr191/helpful.html
No telescope? Don't worry, one can log in to many observatories and book time for observing heavenly objects
online - one can even view what is coming through the Hubble Space Telescope at this moment.
The April meeting at the East SIG will include a simple demonstration of software for astronomy, plus all the
practical answers for the usual questions: What can I see without a telescope? Which are the best Web pages
for telescopes, observing, history, Lunar studies, images, lessons, online magazines? The subject of
astronomy can be pursued in more detail at the East Workshop SIG Beginners Group that meets on the Sunday
after the second Tuesday of the month, at 120 Eley Road in Blackburn.
Oh, yes, the opposite of astronomy is usually dismissed as "That there astrology stuff". It is classed as a
pseudoscience yet most people read their horoscope in magazines and newspapers every day and laugh and joke
about it. Introduce two "singles" and before long they will find out that one is a Scorpio and the other a
Taurus - perfect match. Astrology software is freely available and the psychology and mythology linked to
astrology is fascinating, giving great joy and insight to all who browse it. Astrology will be covered at a
later East SIG meeting. Of course, astrology leads one into numerology, Tarot, Kabbalah, and New Age. To be a
proficient astrologer one must have a good grasp of astronomy.
Reprinted from the April 2000 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
