Ed and Carolyn’s tips for star-struck beginners 1.


binoculars, is another of Carolyn’s favorites because, she says, while looking at the twinkling mass, “you are watching stars being born right now.” Ed’s favorite object in the sky is more sentimental


than scintillating. He and his college buddies—young and in love with astronomy—discovered what they believed was a new comet while camping in the mountains. Not identified on any of their star charts, the tiny, blazing body was theirs to name and intro- duce to the world. The next day the astronomy-crazed students learned that their discovery was a cluster of stars well-known to science and easily found on a different set of star charts. Though the faux discovery took place a half century ago, Ed still lo- cates that cluster of stars every night and says goodnight to his old friends in the sky before tearing himself away from his telescope and taking himself to bed. ¢


2. 3.


4.


Start by viewing the night sky through a pair of binoculars. Most people already own a pair, and they offer enough magnification to bring celestial objects much closer to Earth.


Let your eyes adjust to the dark. Full adjustment takes 40 minutes, but even five minutes will greatly improve your view of the stars.


Choose a dark place to scout out stars, planets and constellation. East Camino Cielo Road in Santa Barbara offers some of the best viewing opportuni- ties around, but on a clear night, any place without streetlight interference works well for star gazing.


Pick up a copy of Sky and Telescope or Astronomy magazine. Both of these publications provide sea- sonal star charts and tips for amateurs.


ABOVE, a young astronomer views the moon through binoculars at Linden Field.


RIGHT, a telescope at the astronomy viewing in 2009 organized by the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit to recognize the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s invention of the telescope.


FAR RIGHT, Carolyn Edwards’ enthusiasm for star gazing


rocketed once she purchased her own instrument for sky searching—a Dobsonian with an 8-inch aperture.


18 CARPINTERIAMAGAZINE


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