Skywatching - my new hobby

I was reading a book on astronomy recently and found it difficult to visualize all the various relative motions of the Earth, Sun, Moon, other planets and stars. When I went outside to try to work the motions out, skywatching became much more than interesting. It has become a new hobby.

Seeing the moons of Jupiter is probably what hooked me. When I first saw the planet, I had only guessed it was a planet because of its brightness and its appearance in the telescope. I had heard that the moons were visible, but did not see them the first night. So I did not think it was Jupiter.

Checking the next night though I saw the 4 visible moons. Wow! Neat!

There they are. Watching them rotate from night to night is just too much.

This is a photograph, off the Internet, of Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons, not my own picture. But it is exacly what can be seen. The moons change positions each night.

I have found Mars, in Gemini. Identified numerous individual stars. Seen Venus. Mercury and Saturn are in the east sky in the morning. I have seen one of them, not sure yet which. I think Saturn, but will watch for confirmation as it moves daily.

Each night and morning there are new things to see and to observe.

We have had several days of rain and heavy clouds which have limited my viewing, (See Julia Odom's post My buyer's house is flooded) but the clouds seem to be leaving this morning.

So a great night to watch the sky. Can't wait.

It is time to visit the Clarence T Jones Observatory, right here in Chattanooga. A place I have never been.