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Summer 2006
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Wanted: Photos for our Photo Album! Submit a favorite photo of your family's fun time in Gunnison or Crested Butte. Details here.

• Watch the weather report for the forecast. Moonless, clear nights are best for observing stars. For our Gunnison Valley "clear sky clock" providing detailed local sky information, visit this web site.
• Dress in layers with a hat, a neck gator, thermal underwear, sweater, warm jacket, gloves, warm socks and warm boots. Be sure to also have a warm blanket to wrap entirely around yourselves, and snuggling up with your loved ones always helps to stay warm. Hot cocoa is a nice treat to warm your tummy while you're enjoying the serenity of the stars. It's best to lie down and look straight up. You may want to have everyone checking different areas of the sky.
• Bring any star gazing equipment you may have such as a compass, binoculars, or a telescope. It is best to have them outside prior to the event to prevent fogging and a blurring of your view.
• Get away from any light pollution. You can do this by walking a short distance from town, or simply by turning off all the lights in your house.
• Get a good book on beginning star gazing such as "Nightwatch" by Terrence Dickinson or "Touring the Universe with Binoculars" by Phil Harrington.
• You can visit various websites such as www.astronomy.com, www.kidsastronomy.com, and many more. Some websites have forums where you get tips from other star gazers.

Meteors are often called "falling stars" They are actually debris from meteors that glow when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. Most burn and are destroyed as they fall and fade away, but if they actually make it to the land, they're called "meteorites."
Meteor showers occur throughout the year. Listed below are the peak dates for winter meteor shower observation. They are best observed after midnight.
Geminids - Dec. 13 (50 meteors per hour)
Ursids - Dec. 22 (15 meteors per hour)
Quadrantids - Jan 3, 4 (40 meteors per hour)
Lyrids - April 22 (15 meteors per hour)
Winter constellations include: Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, Big Dipper (Ursula Major),and the Little Dipper (Ursula Minor).

Carpe noctem - Seize the night!

For more information about star gazing in the Gunnison County, check out our past issues:
Summer 2007
Winter 2006
Summer 2006