Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins

The Most Unappreciated Thing: The Night Sky


Springfield

Recommended Posts

I was down at the Outer Banks this weekend. I noticed the night sky. I stared at it for what seemed like hours. The night sky isn't something that I am used to being from, and growing up around, the District of Colombia. The night sky, in particular the stars, is the most captivating thing I have stared at in months or years. Just sitting there and thinking about what is, what could be and how things are is a thing of beauty.

I dedicate this thread to the night sky. It is perhaps the most beautiful thing you can enjoy outside of the Washington DC metro area. It makes me wish that I didn't live so close to our capital city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was down at the Outer Banks this weekend. I noticed the night sky. I stared at it for what seemed like hours. The night sky isn't something that I am used to being from, and growing up around, the District of Colombia. The night sky, in particular the stars, is the most captivating thing I have stared at in months or years. Just sitting there and thinking about what is, what could be and how things are is a thing of beauty.

I dedicate this thread to the night sky. It is perhaps the most beautiful thing you can enjoy outside of the Washington DC metro area. It makes me wish that I didn't live so close to our capital city.

Dude.......there's this thing in DC......it's called The Planetarium :silly:

You're such a Big Dipper :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well said sir. Well said.

I have 2 vivid,"holy **** look at that" memories I have of really seeing the night sky away from city lights. One was when I ended up on down in the Florida keys away from all the hotels and such. Looked up and man. What a site. The next was the first time I went way up in the hills here in Planet Utah. No lights. Period. Looked up and man. My chin rebounded off the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loooove goin to Deep Creek Lake and sittin on our dock alll night and just starrin at the sky...nothin beats it really...SO beautiful

My sister goes to Deep Creek every year with her in-laws.....

Down the country the night sky is wonderful. It is like a trillion stars up there, lol. Like Springfield said, growing up in DC, or any big city, you cant appreciate it because of all the street lights and what not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truer words have never been said. I have spent many hours wondering what the sky looked like before electricity. It must have been amazing. I've read that even when we are far from urban areas, we still lose 80-90% of what might be seen because of urban light bouncing around in the upper atmosphere.

One of my favorite childhood memories is camping under the night sky on Bald mountain during the annual Leonid meteor shower. I don't think I slept the whole night...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was down at the Outer Banks this weekend. I noticed the night sky. I stared at it for what seemed like hours. The night sky isn't something that I am used to being from, and growing up around, the District of Colombia. The night sky, in particular the stars, is the most captivating thing I have stared at in months or years. Just sitting there and thinking about what is, what could be and how things are is a thing of beauty.

I dedicate this thread to the night sky. It is perhaps the most beautiful thing you can enjoy outside of the Washington DC metro area. It makes me wish that I didn't live so close to our capital city.

Translation: North Carolina is the place to be.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dude.......there's this thing in DC......it's called The Planetarium :silly:

The Planetarium makes my head spin. It's definitely cool but it's nothing like the real thing.

Well said sir. Well said.

I have 2 vivid,"holy **** look at that" memories I have of really seeing the night sky away from city lights. One was when I ended up on down in the Florida keys away from all the hotels and such. Looked up and man. What a site. The next was the first time I went way up in the hills here in Planet Utah. No lights. Period. Looked up and man. My chin rebounded off the ground.

I figured your response would be something like, "I'm staring at the stars every night man, you need to get out of the city!"

I guess that, even in Utah, the stars aren't as bright unless there is nothing around. The only thing that sucks around here is that you have to travel at least 2 to 3 hours away to get a good sight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truer words have never been said. I have spent many hours wondering what the sky looked like before electricity. It must have been amazing. I've read that even when we are far from urban areas, we still lose 80-90% of what might be seen because of urban light bouncing around in the upper atmosphere.

One of my favorite childhood memories is camping under the night sky on Bald mountain during the annual Leonid meteor shower. I don't think I slept the whole night...

I guess you are right. I remember as a child, staring up at the stars and the moon (~20 miles from DC). I remember it being so awesome. The only time I get to start up at the sky is when I am away from home on vacation. That only happens once or twice a year.

Translation: North Carolina is the place to be.:)

It is. It truly is. Being on the beach, with nothing to stare at except for the stars is exceptional. It has been the most delightful thing that I have seen in months, if not years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I figured your response would be something like, "I'm staring at the stars every night man, you need to get out of the city!"

I guess that, even in Utah, the stars aren't as bright unless there is nothing around. The only thing that sucks around here is that you have to travel at least 2 to 3 hours away to get a good sight.

That would be rubbing it in. And actually, when I'm on my deck I can't see the night sky as well due to the lights of the surrounding condos. And the mountain version of urban blight,(despite efforts to the contrary),tends to block them out in many areas here. You do remind me though, that I have been taking things for granted. And I should,(and I'm not trying to be an ******* here), just walk about 50 yards around the building to get a pretty good view of about 60% of the night sky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the pleasure of growing up in the country with a family cabin in the mountains, closest house one half mile away, closest town 10 miles away on the opposite side of the mountain, not big enough to give off any light pollution, I love it out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have this website bookmarked, and absolutely love it.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

It is the daily astronomy picture from NASA. They have cool explanations and links. Its a great mix of Hubble-type deep space pics, cool astronaut stuff, and land-based great night sky pictures.

Check out this one (the night sky over Mauna Kea)

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090127.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is not a single place in MD, except for maybe the Deep Creek area in the Pan Handle that can compare to the night Sky I saw when in Iraq. You would see a shooting star ever few minutes. It was about the only beautiful thing in the middle east.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Down here where i am, you can see all kinds of stars and stuff at night, when its clear out of course. You can also see the glow of the city lights to the north of me off in a distance. I lived in Arlington all my life and never remember seeing as many stars as i do down here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a truly dark sky the Milky Way casts a shadow. :cool2:

That is an awesome picture. I wouldn't be surprised if it were photoshopped, but it is very cool nonetheless.

Another thing that I find very interesting is that the southern hemisphere has a completely different night sky with different constellations and such. The intrigue of space will never bore me. I wish I would have went to school to become an astronomer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...