Bee Sting Hill Observatory is committed to science and astronomy education and outreach. Astronomy is a rewarding and relaxing hobby and there is no greater joy than sharing that passion with others. Very few people have ever looked through a telescope, much less seen the bright red spot on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, or the great Orion nebula. You never know when you may spark a similar interest in someone. Astronomy can be a humbling experience and it's a hobby worth sharing with others.
If you have an interest in Astronomy, there are many great resources and opportunities to get involved and learn more. I've included several of my favorites below.
If you have an interest in Astronomy, there are many great resources and opportunities to get involved and learn more. I've included several of my favorites below.
Podcasts
There are many space-centric podcasts available, but here are some that I find truly exceptional and entertaining.
- AstronomyCast - AstronomyCast is a weekly facts-based journey through the universe hosted by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay. AstronomyCast has been running since 2008 and has amassed over 300 episodes covering numerous topics in astronomy.
- StarTalk Radio - StarTalk Radio is hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and melds together science, astronomy, pop culture, and comedy. It's both entertaining and educational.
- StarDate - StarDate is a daily 3 minute podcast produced by the McDonald Observatory that highlights some astronomical phenomena, person, or event that is relevant to the day. It is a great way to quickly learn what is happening in the sky tonight.
- 365 Days Of Astronomy - 365 Days Of Astronomy publishes a daily 5-10 minute podcast that is produced by people around the world. They also feature some longer form content.
Citizen Science
Citizen Science (or crowd-sourced science) is science conducted wholly or in part by nonprofessional scientists and everyday folks. It's an opportunity to not only learn something new, but to contribute real, meaningful results to scientific endeavors that would require too much time or effort for a small number of individuals to complete. This trend has been growing quickly over the last few years and there are many opportunities to participate. Here are some that I consider the most personally worthwhile.
- SETI@Home - The SETI@Home project has been running for well over a decade and utilizes otherwise idle computer time to search through mountains of data for artificial signals that could help identify other intelligent civilizations in the universe.
- GLOBE at Night - The Globe at Night program is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting citizen-scientists to measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations to a website from a computer or a smartphone app that can be downloaded for free.
- CosmoQuest - CosmoQuest is a crater mapping effort for planets, moons, and asteroids that is lead by Dr. Pamela Gay of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Pamela is an avid astronomer and educator and her passion and enthusiasm for citizen science is highly contagious.
Astronomy Clubs and Star Parties
Most of the population of the USA lives within a short drive of an active astronomy club or annual star party. Clubs provide great opportunities to meet like-minded individuals that share your interests and passion for astronomy. It's also a great opportunity to learn about the nights sky, how to best observe astronomical wonders, and "test drive" telescope hardware before you make any purchases.
Many astronomy clubs host annual or bi-annual star parties in dark sky locations around the country. If you've never been to one, these are great opportunities to learn more and to get involved.
You can find an astronomy club near you at by browsing this link.
Many astronomy clubs host annual or bi-annual star parties in dark sky locations around the country. If you've never been to one, these are great opportunities to learn more and to get involved.
You can find an astronomy club near you at by browsing this link.
Astronomy Shows and Conferences
Each year there are numerous astronomy shows and conferences held around the world. Much like astronomy clubs, these conferences provide great opportunities to meet like-minded amateur astronomers. Additionally, the conferences usually host big named speakers and astronauts who present on various topics such as imaging, current space missions, and past career experiences. These shows come with the added benefit of hosting astronomy hardware/software vendors from around the world, so it's a great opportunity to see the latest hardware and software and learn more about it directly from the people who build it.
Here are a few annual shows that I consider to be among the best in the USA.
Here are a few annual shows that I consider to be among the best in the USA.
- NEAF - The Northeast Astronomy Forum is hosted annually in the spring by the Rockland Astronomy Club. The show is held at the SUNY Rockland Community College Campus in Suffern, NY. This show not only pulls in big-named speakers each year, but it also hosts an in-depth imaging conference, lectures, and a Children's Space Astronomy Fair.
- SCAE - The Southern California Astronomy Exposition is hosted in summer each year in Oceanside, California. The show is sponsored and hosted by Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT) who is one of the largest retail and online astronomy hardware/software resellers in the USA. Much like the other conferences, there are key speakers, imaging seminars, and vendor expositions.
- Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo - This conference is held in the fall each year in Tucson, AZ. It includes an imaging conference, seminars, and a vendor floor.
Local Observing Opportunities - Blue Ridge, Georgia, USA
From time to time, I will be hosting "sidewalk astronomy nights" in/near downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. These are social opportunities to talk about astronomy, peek through a telescope at the moon or planets, or chat about common interests. The calendar below shows dates and locations where I will be hosting these events.