Going Beyound Stargazing

I have thought of doing something beyond stargazing. Though stargazing is my hobby, it does not seem as exciting in my place. For years I have dreamt of seeing celestial objects which are very which brings wonders. However I am unable to spot 98% of these. I nearly sprained my neck after spotting Omega Centauri through my telescope. I had performed stargazing in other countries, but without the telescope. My binoculars were handy as spotted constellations which I could not spot in Singapore. For the past four years, I was hunting the great Andromeda galaxy but was a failure.


What about the place I choose to stargaze in Singapore? Unfortunately it was worse than I thought. For the past few days there was thunderstorms and I had to wait for a the night which was clear and non-cloudy. When I went into the dense forest, I got into sticky situation. It was too marshy and I was bitten by some insects. I was warned about snakes, scorpions and even tarantulas. Luckily I was not bitten by them. But I gave up, because the place was uncomfortable for me. I thought of performing this in the country I going to travel. It would be much better there and I have read books on successful stargazing. For instance, amateur astronomer Levy, had conducted successful stargazing throughout the years. She has tracked a lot of deep sky objects and labeled them Levy 1 to Levy xx. Her efforts resulted in publishing a book called Deep Sky Objects.


A best way to enjoy Astronomy is not just stargazing, but reading more about them. Our telescopes have limited view of the Universe. As I told before, Hubble keeps coming with new discoveries. There are a lot of theories behind the Universe. So I have decided to research on the relativity theory. It is the one of the most interesting theories about time travel. I am also researching about other theories like Black Holes and Wormholes. There are a lot of mysteries behind space and time.


I am going on a vacation, so I won't be updating until January. I am also learning the greatest mysteries that has been unleashed. Do use some of the Astronomy gadgets at the right hand corner of the page. The starry night gadget will help you in stargazing. The Fact Of The Day will be disabled until I return.

Astronomy At The Edge

Now and then we hear about new astronomical discoveries by Hubble Space Telescope or by probes monitoring different planets. The existence of water in Titan is still a great mystery. Hubble keeps coming up with new stellar bodies which are impossible to view even with the largest grounded telescope. These images only provide less information on the size of the Universe but does not tell us whether it is expanding or not. Quasars provide some evidence on the expansion from the Doppler effect of light waves. In this case distant galaxies tend to move away from the observer causing the wavelength to increase. Hence, Quasars appear red from the Hubble Telescope.

There are other Astronomical Paradoxes which are difficult to solve. My favorite ones are the Black holes, Wormholes, relativity and Big bang. If wormholes provide a bridge between two parts of the Universe, it would be possible to conquer time. If nothing can go faster than the speed of light it would take several generations to reach alpha centauri. But our Universe is so gigantic that our it would become the year infinite if a fast space ship reaches Andromeda Galaxy. Our Solar System is like one atom in a cell where the planets are like electrons orbiting round the nucleus. There are endless possibilities in space.

Another mystery is about the age of our Universe. At first our Universe was thought to be old and going to dye soon. However, according to further research the age of our Universe is compared to a one day old infant. Thanks, to WMAP which took detailed studies about the remains of gas clouds after the Big Bang. There were a lot of contradictions on the age of the Universe. At past our Universe was thought to be 1-2 billion years old which contradicted the age of our Earth (4.6 billion years) and the age of the oldest stars (12 billion years.) According to WMAP, our Universe is actually 13.6 billion years old and it is continuing to expand. As a matter of fact our Universe can continue to exist till the next 150 billion years. Hence contradictions are resolved.

Most of us wish to time travel to undo the past or to foresee the future. We may think it is impossible but it is possible only if we could travel faster than light. According to relativity theory, anything that approaches the speed of light will appear to be short to the observer. If a person is in a space ship travelling close to the speed of light he would see that the processes outside the space ship would appear very slow. At the speed of light, everything outside the space ship would appear to be at a stop, just like pausing the Media Player. If the space ship travels grater than that speed, the processes outside the space ship would reverse and that person would go into the future. In order to make this possible, the equation E=mc^2 needs to be obeyed.

Space has a lot of mysteries behind. Even the Extra Terrestrial written by science fiction writers may be true. Some claims that life may exist in Europa and Titan. We may not know that one day Sojourner rover might step onto worms, making big history. Dendritic patterns on Mars show evidence about ancient river flows. From all these remarkable discoveries and more to come, we would soon open the unravel the hidden mystery behind space and time.

Halloween Special

Astronomers normally want the sky to be crystal clear. But today is Halloween most people want the night to be spooky rather than crystal clear. It would be better to have a full moon surrounded by some small clouds today. It lies all in our dreams. It is impossible to control nature as today is a waxing crescent instead of full moon. Luckily there is a high probability in the night being misty. So we can still enjoy the Halloween night.

I am sad that hardly no one celebrates Halloween in Singapore. I do not even encounter any children trick-or-treating here. What the big deal of having Singapore Ghost Stories when most people here do not know what is Halloween. That's the life in Singapore. For today, I will get some Halloween treats and special. Being in Singapore does not mean no Halloween. For those who can't experience but want to experience Halloween, visit www.runescape.com and play the Halloween special edition of runescape.

Happy Halloween!

My Next Hunting Spot.

Though I have not travelled to many countries, I find there each place has something special to offer in the sky. From where I live I can get to see more constellations and celestial bodies. This is due to fact that I live in the equator. For instance I was living far North I would get bored by seeing only constellations surrounding Polaris. So I would tend to look more at the horizon. Here I can see constellations rising and setting. Cloud cover is just part and parcel of my life. So I have decided to be patient.

My next spot will be in a place where there is less cloud cover and minimal light pollution. I had finally found a time for that. This time I would be a real amateur who explores into the darkness. Before that I have to mark my spot and see to that there is other disturbance in that place. Being a tropical country, I have to bring along an insect repellent and first aid. I would also need to learn how to chase the monkeys without harming them. There is one problem. What if I get lost and not able to find my way back. A better solution is to camp rather than being there for a short while. The advantage of doing this is that I can stargaze the whole night by spotting more objects.

What if bad weather ruins my plan. I would normally get the latest report from the weather station. However, I would expect more than that. crystal clear skies! Whatever happens is not in my hands. So, I would need to be contented with what I get.

My am willing to focus on something special in my next trips. They are meteoroids. I Singapore, we hardly get to see meteor showers. Few years ago, Leonids was visible to our eyes. This made some of us jump for joy as we had never seen such spectacular sights. In future, I will be hunting for more of such sights. I may not be easy, but I will try my best. I may break the Singapore record. Before I get exaggerated, I would need to plan on how to make those possible.

Finally, I need to have to collect data in a sophisticated way. For instance, I would need the skill of good Astrophotography. Secondly, I would need to upgrade telescope or else things would appear the same. A special notebook is required to make detailed sketches of planets and celestial bodies. This may not be easy as I have minimal experience on such ways.

Before, I get ready I must promise myself that I would never give up on my hobby even if there is any failure. From failure comes success.

Too Much Work Spoils The Day

Being a part time amateur is difficult to most people as they are busy. Sometimes the busiest day falls on the crystal clear night. This has turned down many amateurs and some have to give up on their hobby. How do we solve this problem? The answer is, it all depends on what do you want achieve on that day. If you want to succeed in your main job, go ahead. By the end of the we cannot kill two birds with one stone.





I even face a lot difficult circumstances where added work hinders my Astronomical journey. Things tend to go against my plans. So, what do I do? The only solution is to do what I planned. Self learning is better than learning facts from others. For example instead of just knowing that alpha centauri is a double star, why not use a telescope and explore the double star. Do you know that we can gain a lot of knowledge by looking at stars. Some of us had asked questions like why do stars twinkle, what causes them to shine at different brightness and colours and how far is a star from our solar system. We get get answers by books and through the net. However, the universe is a big place and there are a lot to be discovered.





In Singapore, I find it difficult to find time to stargaze. Other than busy life, most of the time there is too much cloud cover. I try to manage my time as far as possible. Since I am targeting the faint celestial bodies, I having a tough time. It took me days to spot omega centauri. Though I had been less successful in tracking, I am still contented about my work. An amateur need not have to be good in spotting deep sky objects. The best amateur is the one who enjoys his work rather than feeling down if there is failure. Time may be a killing factor. However we cannot help it.



But do not lose hope and work towards your goals. Small steps can lead to success.

Astro competitions

Astronomy competitions are becoming more popular. From a small creative constellation competition to an international competition like creative space shuttle design competition held by NASA. Youngsters are now showing interest in something new and spectacular. Even a trip to an observatory is a new experience to them. Unfortunately, there is no separate subject for Astronomy and it is hard to find a degree or PHD for it. But it has a link to Physics and Maths.

Like having Maths, Physics and Chemistry Oympiad why don't we have an Astronomy Olympiad. We can teach students basic Astronomical formulas, calculations and some simple theories. It will not be something new for those who are doing Physics and Maths. Instead of going into complex theories we relate some theories to what they have learnt in Physics. eg: gravitation field for study of orbits and some thermal physics used in the studying the Sun. Maths and Chemistry can also be applied. eg: parallax and chemical composition of stars. Some may think how will astronomy help in the future. It is just like asking how will your aptitude in a sport help you in future though you are good in your studies?

Just like being a part time private coach, you be an Astronomy club tutor and organise stargazing events. If you are willing do go in depth in Astronomy it is not easy. Even I have been researching for opportunities in going into Astronomical field and did not find a direct way. Even Stephen Hawking went through indirect ways in his young age before fulfilling his dream. So it is not easy as we think to get into the Astronomical line. Most observatories are remote controlled and there are enough people in the research of celestial bodies.

On the other hand, there are some opportunities to qualify as an astronaut. I have found out that with an in depth knowledge on engineering, physical sciences, passing the obstacle courses and a good fitness( Must know swimming, diving and parachuting) is enough to qualify as an astronaut. It does not matter from where you come from. You might not know that a Singaporean might an astronaut in future.

Back to my point on Astro competitions, I think it is better for the young generation to know what the Astronomical field is involved in. They should think that what this field is doing is unnecessary. Some people nowadays do ignore what is being launched into space. Even a rock brought from Mars is incomparable with a bar of gold. Through astronomical competitions, students will know better about this field. Since Astronomy is less applied in our daily lives, there is no need to have a separate subject on Astronomy. If you are willing to gain these knowledge you can borrow some Astronomical books from the Library. They are also helpful in planning stargazing sessions. I use the handy book titled, "Stars and Planets by Ian Ridpath" to plan my stargazing sessions.

By the way you can check out some upcoming competitions by googling. But make sure that they are held legal associations. If you are doubtful you can take part in Astro competitions held by schools, colleges and universities.

Dreaming of a clear nights

Many amateur astronomers are wanting times where there are clear nights. Even I dream of them too. For the past few days or even weeks I was not able to get clear nights. There was too much cloud cover. Though there were times were some parts of the sky was clear, the moving cumulus clouds were disturbing. Sometimes it is impossible to predict weather. We can never tell whether the night will be clear just by looking at the clear afternoon sky. So how do I solve this problem?


I began to reflect upon myself. How many people have got to see the Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons through a telescope? Most stargazing events take these as a featured view.


Even in my Secondary school we do not give importance to deep sky objects. Stargazing is more of tracing constellations rather than spotting an object. A few are vowed by just looking at the moon through the binoculars. So why dream for more than appreciating what you can see?


Since my young age I had avid interest in Astronomy I loved reading about stars and planets. I was interested more about deep sky objects only at the age of 13. This was because nebulae and galaxies are more beautiful than glowing stars. But they not appear like what you see in books through a telescope. For example some deep sky objects appear grey , blue and yellow rather than colourful images. The pillars of creation in eagle nebula has been colourised by the Hubble telescope. So how much does it cost to see one? If you wan really spot one don't waste money on expensive telescopes. They are not going to help much. Why not try astrophotography. You can expose an image for a long to get a detail and crispier. For example you image North American Nebula and nebulosity surrounding Antares (Alpha Scorpi).


Astrophotography is possible when there is a very clear sky. As a matter of fact I have only done it once and found quite tiring especially in place which has a limiting magnitude. I am still a novice in this as the images I caught were blurred. But you can still keep records through sketch books and diary. This will help you in future sightings. For example you can sketch Jupiter and its exact position of the moons at that time. However, if you are using a refractor it important to take note that the images are laterally inverted.







If the image appears like this through a refractor telescope it should be reversed as shown below.

The actual position of Jupiter and its moons.












Sketches of constellations and star clusters (eg: Pleiades) can be made. It is important to keep records so that we do not do not forget them.

Coming back to the problem of clear nights, a lot of planning is needed to be done before deciding a star gazing session. Firstly it is important to weather forecast of that particular day. If the weather is going to be bad postpone the session. There is no point is cancelling at the last minute, or else those who are willing to join might lose interest. On the other it is important to be patient. God does not give us gold coins all the time.

I think it is better to be happy with what we have. Nothing can be gained without effort and patience.

Welcome to Astronomy Anywhere

Astronomy has been a hobby for some people around the world. Clear skies are the best time for these amateur astronomers as they will be spotting numerous objects in the sky. However it is impossible to enjoy stargaze in a light polluted city. This has concerned many astronomers and only see them in their dreams. But there is a solution to this problem. Most books will ask to move away from the city area. There is a much better way than this.



If you own a private housing you can ask your neighbours to switch off the lights with you or even invite them to a star party. Zero lighting in a particular area is better for a star party. Sometimes it may not possible since the horizon remains light polluted to about 30-45 degrees. There are other places you can choose to stargaze. For example you could use an open space somewhere in a part of a city which is least light polluted. That would be enough for a reasonable star gazing. However there are places which can't fulfill these conditions.



I am an amateur astronomer who comes from Singapore. I face a lot of problems in stargazing as there is light pollution as well too much rainfall. I was able to trace some constellations and caught detailed images of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. I wish to spot deep sky objects other than the Pleiades (M45). The Orion nebula (M42,43) had been a failure a few times. I had caught its dull image once. There are hundreds of other deep sky objects which I wish to see. At present I managed to spot a inlet of jewel box cluster (near beta crux) and trying to get a good image of omega centauri. It is not easy to spot deep sky objects as it requires an accurate position. Some of these objects may appear like other stars. for example omega centauri will appear as a single star through binoculars. Since I am using a normal refractor I have to be patient in my tracking.

In the beginning it took along time spot Saturn. By that time I was a bit exhausted and I perspired a lot. So it is not easy as we think.



Here I can give you some tips on being a good amateur. A few had given up in Astronomy because they failed several times. If you are a starter do not jump into conclusion of buying a telescope (although you can't wait to own one). Try to learn about the skies through star charts and try spotting some constellations with the naked eye. If possible you can buy a binoculars ranging from 7-10 x 50. Hold on to your binoculars for a year or so before going to a telescope.

This is because binoculars are more easier to use. Once you are clear with the the skies and visible planets, you are ready for a telescope. Buy a telescope which you are comfortable. Do not buy them from camera shops as they are expensive and have less use. You can go to this website for your choice. http://www.telescope.com/control/main/ Try to avoid fussy ones which are difficult to control. It is important that your telescope is durable and easy to handle. Once you own one try spotting easier objects like Moon , bright planets and stars before going to the rest. Do not dream of deep skies first. I had made this similar mistake before and until now I did not spot the Andromeda galaxy (M31). I hope I will spot it some day.



If you going to stargaze go as a group or even make it a public party. You should know the place well if it is somewhere unknown. It is important to be patient during stargazing sessions and not make a havoc if you fail to see something which you wish to see or lost track of something. This is normal to an amateur. A star gazing session can go up to a whole night. If you are staying over remember to bring enough supplies. Finally a good astronomer has to enjoy what he is doing.



Other than stargazing and spotting objects it is good to read on some Astronomical theories and facts. They can be interesting. If you are a good in physics you would be interested in these theories and equations and how normal physics equations can be applied to astronomy. A mathematician will also be interested as some mathematical applications like trigonometry can be applied in this field.



If you have any questions or comments you can email to alphaams@yahoo.com