Let’s play astronomer! Tonight there’s to be a black moon!

To me it seems a bit odd to be making such a hoopla over something we won’t be able to see. I’ll bet astronomy fans are delighted, though. And it’s true that stars are much easier to see when there’s no moon; so maybe I can still say, Let’s play astronomer.

The rare night times when I’m somewhere with little or no electrical elimination, and no moon (the moon gives an incredible amount of light!); I look up at the sky and think I’m seeing thin, high clouds; and I’m seeing our own Milky Way galaxy. In fact, in such an environment I find it much harder to pick out the constellations I know because of all the “clutter”. We don’t realize how thick the sky is with stars when in urban (or even suburban) surroundings. That makes it hard to play the astronomer.

A bicycle trip for stargazers might be fun. Of course, don’t stargaze while riding! But where would it be possible to ride out to a wide open area far enough away from city lighting? It would need to be a flat area, too, where the sky won’t be obscured by hills or mountains.

I guess one of the Plains states might fit the bill. Maybe make a camping trip out of it? It would be even more fun if there were a constellation Bicyclus to stare at!