Trekking out to your favorite
observing spot requires a little extra
planning this time of year. But the
views are totally worth it.
BY MICHAEL E. BAKICH
I
’ve heard it said that it
takes a special kind of
amateur astronomer to
observe in winter. I only
partly agree. Yes, cold
weather is hard on equip-
ment and observers alike.
But the prospect of observ-
ing the Witch Head Nebula
(IC 2118), the Intergalactic
Wanderer (NGC 2419), or
Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359) on
a clear winter night is difficult
to resist. So, for those of us not
born with antifreeze coursing
through our veins, the key lies
in preparation.
And do note that while this
story specifically relates towinter observing, similar con-
ditions occur during other sea-
sons at high altitude. Being
prepared only starts with the
right equipment — for your
optics and for yourself. The
next step is having what you
need for what you didn’t
expect. If you’re observing at a
remote site, you need to over-
pack. You probably won’t use
everything you bring. But in
a cold, isolated environment,
the right tools at your finger-
tips might just mean the differ-
ence between life and death.How to stay warm
By far, the most importanttips for WINTER O
body parts to keep warm are
the head and the feet. While
it’s a myth that you lose the
most heat through your head,
you definitely don’t want to
leave your head uncovered
while the rest of your body
is wrapped up. Similarly, the
ground will quickly sap your
body heat if you’re wearing
only thin-soled shoes.
My personal headgear is a
soft f leece pullover head cover.
I can cover everything but my
eyes — though on all but the
coldest nights, I have the frontpulled down to expose my
nose and mouth. Over this I
wear a felt hat. I don’t like the
down-filled hood of my parka
— although it’s really warm
— for one reason: When the
hood is up, the material rub-
bing on itself makes so much
noise that unless I stand still,
conversation is difficult. Also,
I just feel better being able to
hear what’s going on around
me. It’s also worth noting that
hoods can diminish peripheral
vision — another important
safety consideration.Astr onomy’s
The globular cluster NGC 2419 in Lynx is nicknamed the Intergalactic
Wanderer because its wide orbit around our galaxy once led scientists
to think it wasn’t orbiting the Milky Way at all. This winter, bundle up
and catch a glimpse! ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA