by Patricia Jeffery © 2023, Calgary Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
If you ever find yourself stuck inside due to illness or injury, freezing temperatures, or have simply reached the age where a night at home is more appealing than a night on the town, did you know you can still enjoy the majesty of the heavens without venturing beyond the comfort of your own home?
Yes, I am well aware that hardcore astronomers would not recommend this approach as the multiple panes of glass will distort the image somewhat. But if the alternative is no stargazing at all, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you can see while sitting next to a window. While the images won’t be Hubble quality, they can still be pretty darn impressive.
Benefits of indoor astronomy
- Every clear night is a stargazing night
- Every clear day is a solar gazing day (Caution: you’ll need a special filter for your telescope to safely observe the sun)
- No danger of frostbite (winter) or mosquito bites (summer)
- Jupiter’s four largest moons are easily visible with a pair of binoculars
- Use binoculars to examine the moon at first quarter and third quarter, then use pencil and paper to sketch its surface
- Gain familiarity with the night sky with a smart phone astronomy app. Many good ones are free
- On nights when you’re too stressed to sleep, instead of staring at the ceiling, try losing yourself in the serenity of the night sky
- When warmer weather returns, or recovery from your physical ailment occurs, you’ll be primed and ready to pack up your astronomy gear and head outside
- Or you may discover you enjoy indoor astronomy so much that you’ve become a year-round convert
