The Difference Between Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Astronomy is the study of what you see in the sky and the dynamics of objects in space. I think of it as about what you can see when you observe the sky with your [...]
Fixing a Reset Problem with my Celestron SCT C6 Telescope Hand Controller
I’ve had a recurring problem with my Celestron SCT C6 telescope since I received it in Feb, 2008. Every now and then, especially when I am slewing the scope, and more often in cold weather, [...]
Essential Telescope Principles: The Real Meaning of Focal Length
This is part 1. The properties of telescopes are often presented in a confusing way. In fact, it is simple if you keep in mind what a telescope is really doing. […]
Essential Principles of Telescopes: Field of View (FOV)
This is part 2. To read part 1, click here. The focal length of a mirror system is a direct measure of the translation of the angular size of an object to its spatial size [...]
Summer Science Camp for Big Kids
If you missed out on summer camp as a kid, as I did, it’s not too late. But this time, you don’t have to rough it. For the last few years, I’ve attended various star [...]
New Spin on an Old Poem for Amateur Astronomers
“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house… ” is the way the classic poem by Major Henry Livingston Jr. 1748 – 1828, begins. Over the years, 849 variations have been created each [...]
Estimating the Length of Star Trails in Astrophotographs
The earth rotates, sweeping the star field across the sky. If we take a long exposure of the stars, with the camera stationary, the stars will appear as star trails in the image. We can [...]
Top Shelf Astronomy 201 Courses
Looking for an astronomy class a little beyond the basics, but not requiring a PhD and taught by the experts? Here are four recommendations that are “out of this world.” […]
Life Long Learning at Your Fingertips
I’ve never given up my thirst for learning more about what interests me in the world. I went to school in Cambridge, MA, where there are 30 large universities in the area, each with weekly [...]
Single-handed Camper Hitch Hook-up
When you are all alone in the middle of the wilderness, how do you hook-up a camper to your car’s hitching ball? If the camper is not secured, you will be stranded in the middle [...]
Fix for some Windows 7 compatibility problems
I hated Vista and actually downgraded two computers from Vista to XP. Windows 7 is a huge improvement, and I am in the process of migrating all my computers to this new operating system. As [...]
Trick to move off-screen windows back on screen
I have multiple monitors on my various computers. If I open and save applications with one monitor configuration, and then change the monitor configuration, or move that application to a computer with a different monitor [...]
Rephrase the Political Debate: Goals, Strategies, then Tactics
I am tired of listening to political debate in the media today. Both the politicians and the media interviewing and reporting on them have it all wrong. The fundamental problem is that the discussions are [...]
The Vertical Wine Tasting at Stone Hill Winery
In a horizontal wine tasting, you sample different types of wines from different grapes, possibly from different wineries and from different years. You are sampling a shotgun variety of sometimes wildly varying textures, aromas and [...]
How to Nap by Maxwell and Schrodinger
Schrodinger points out that when you nap style doesn't count. Comfort is everything. His white moustache is showing. Schrodinger illustrates sleeping position #8, nose to nose with a friend. In this case, our friend Rachel. [...]
Screen Capture for an iPhone
There is a simple way of taking a snap shot picture of whatever is currently displayed on the iPhone screen. It is described in the iPhone help files under the camera. To record the screen, [...]
Stories in Pictures for April 2010
The storm season began with thunderstorms building over the plains of Kansas. April is here with flowers in bloom in downtown Kansas City I bet you’re thinking, “How is it possible for this kid to [...]
Maxwell and Schrodinger at 2 Years Old in 2003
Since we kept our two cats as inside only cats, I felt sorry for them not having a chance to learn to hunt. So, I bought a live mouse for them to practice with. I [...]
Three Microsoft Windows Products I Actually Like
The first computer I bought with my own money was a Mac. It was love at first sight. I became a “pod” person. Back in 1985, it was like all of us Mac fans shared [...]
“We Broke It, Now We Own It!”
In the summer of 2009, we caught five raccoons over a period of about a month using a live trap. I would shove the trap and raccoon in the back on my car, drive it [...]