I have been teaching in the north for over ten years now. Ever since I have arrived to this remote community, I have looked upon the heavens with a greater respect and admiration! You see, being far from cities has its inconveniences but grants me a remarkable view of the night sky! I have experimented with two different telescopes in the past but none like the one my husband gave me on my 37th birthday. These entries serve me as a way to keep a written account of what I see in the night sky and to share with those of you (who are a just a wee bit curious) what I see when the conditions are right.

Please, I cannot repeat this enough,.. what I view does not resemble IN ANY WAY the pictures you have seen on the Internet or in any National Geographic Magazine. With a telescope such as mine, it is never what you see that takes precedence but what you know about it! Of course I am mesmerized by what I discover in my eyepiece but,... it's more than just seeing right?

Unfortunately, my telescope had fallen victim to some condensation issues and the fog soon turned to ice crystals that burned to the touch. Humidity won out and I shielded my fingers from exposure to the humid cold. Just a touch to my telescope and I would certainly feel it.

Why on earth would I touch THAT with my bare hands? You see, when dealing with small parts such as lenses (that if dropped cracks), using bare hands just works better. No wonder I often suffer from frostbite!