The Coolest Thing I Ever Saw: The 1998 Leonid Meteor Shower

Late 1998 was a busy time for me. As a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force, I was old enough to have some responsibility in the form of supervising my own load crew but still low enough down the totem pole that virtually all of supervision sat squarely above me. I was stationed at [...]

Extreme Observing: Challenges on the Edge

Astronomy is a life long pursuit. The universe and time are so vast, I have yet to meet someone who has truly seen it all, even from our sometimes beleaguered vantage point here on Earth. Some targets, like Saturn or the ring nebula, are never tiring to look at. However, as I rack up the [...]

Make Your Workout Pay; Collecting Cans While You Run

This topic has nothing to do with astronomy, except for the fact that the idea may be considered as well, in outer space to some. I live in and grew up in the state of Maine. Maine has a long tradition as being one of the first states to offer a return deposit for cans [...]