I'm an astronomer babe!

[DaveGarland]

So the other night I woke up hearing my baby son Ethan crying for his night feed and thought I'd get to him before my partner woke. Now as I always do in the middle of the night, I just went into his room and then downstairs with him to the kitchen in darkness. Then after walking into the living room and feeding him I walked back up into his room and tucked him back into bed again all in darkness. When I climbed back into bed though I found my partner was actually awake and asked me if I'd walked down and up the stairs with Ethan in the dark? "how could you see where you were going?" she asked. "I'm an astronomer babe" I replied thinking for the first time that I'd made an interest in astronomy sound cool. 

Now, actually I always have wandered around the house in darkness when I wake up and never really thought about it. But maybe people with an interest in astronomy are more used to moving around in darkness? It would make sense I guess. Do any of you do this? And do any of you have partners who think you're nuts for doing this? And have any of you scared the sweet bejesus out of your partners doing this? 

[martin_h]

I always sit in the dark when I'm on my own in the house, as soon as her indoors has gone to bed all the lights go off.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Ever since I started in astronomy all those years back I have become adept at moving silently through a dark house. Good night vision and use of averted vision has its uses.

[brantuk]

Yep I frequently get up in the night and go up/down stairs in the dark. But if I was carrying a baby I think I'd err on the side of safety and pop a light on. It's my responsibility for myself if I fall down stairs in the dark - but the thought of squishing junior (who doesn't deserve it) and all the potential horrendous consequences, isn't worth bearing.

[DaveGarland]

You sound just like my partner brantuk lol. Yes I guess that's sensible. 

[brantuk]

I always think about how I'm gonna explain it to the judge while he considers how long I'm gonna get for negligent manslaughter lol

[Uranium235]

Yea, I tend to sneak around in the dark as well as I pretty much know where everything is - unless someone leaves a lego brick on the stairs (ouch!). But even when I do need some light, I use the headtorch and switch it to red mode

[Ouroboros]

Ah, you mean "I'm an astronomer [comma] babe".   I was expecting pictures of .... well, never mind what I was expecting. Suffice it to say she had a heavenly body! ;-)

[Fozzie]

1 hour ago, brantuk said:

 It's my responsibility for myself if I fall down stairs in the dark - but the thought of squishing junior (who doesn't deserve it) and all the potential horrendous consequences, isn't worth bearing.

I fell down the stairs in the middle of the day carrying my 12month old.. a combination of soft carpet and wool socks made the stairs like an ice rink.. ended up crashing through the safety gate at the bottom. thankfully other than my pride and coxis I managed not to hurt, drop squish or bump the little munchingtons. although I do think I held onto him a bit to firmly for his liking.. not something id recommend in a hurry to anyone..

 

Although like many of us, i'm happy wondering around in the dark, although my wife to be and I have VERY different views on what's quiet and what's not... she's got ears like a bat I tell you!

 

[DaveGarland]

16 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

I fell down the stairs in the middle of the day carrying my 12month old.. a combination of soft carpet and wool socks made the stairs like an ice rink.. ended up crashing through the safety gate at the bottom. thankfully other than my pride and coxis I managed not to hurt, drop squish or bump the little munchingtons. although I do think I held onto him a bit to firmly for his liking.. not something id recommend in a hurry to anyone..

 

 

Yeah I did that exact same thing when my eldest was a baby. I just kind of wrapped myself around him and took the fall until I reached the stair gate. I swear they should make those stair gates padded! Thankfully little un just smiled as though he enjoyed the ride. 

[laudropb]

Having been an Electron Microscopist for many years and worked in a dark room for 4 or 5 hours a day I am very used to walking around in the dark. In fact as I have grown older I have found I am more liable to stumble in the light because I don't take the same care.

[Kropster]

One small LED night light at the top or bottom of the stairs is all you need, then whenever anyone gets up in the night there is just enough light too see where you are putting your feet.

Saves finding the light switch and costs virtually nothing to run...... and saves all that time in A & E!

[joe1950]

I must agree with Ouroboros on my initial thought seeing the title!    I envisioned several swimsuit photo ops taken alongside a large DOB.

At 66, I believe my low light vision is good, considering. But I don't venture about much knowing how easily, dark or light, I trip, stumble and often end up ... end up! I then rely on 'inverted vision' to regain bearings. 

 

[Ouroboros]

2 hours ago, joe1950 said:

I must agree with Ouroboros on my initial thought seeing the title!    I envisioned several swimsuit photo ops taken alongside a large DOB.

We must have reached that funny age. ;-)

[Gina]

I was rather puzzled too - an apparently male poster seeming to refer to himself as "babe" a description usually applied to a female.  Could have been a drag act or whatever though...

Shows the value of punctuation in conveying the right meaning.

[Dave Lloyd]

7 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

Ah, you mean "I'm an astronomer [comma] babe".   I was expecting pictures of .... well, never mind what I was expecting. Suffice it to say she had a heavenly body! ;-)

Ooer!

[Andrew INT]

I tend to move around in the dark too. However if I do ever need to turn on a light, I use a bit of my old army training; keep one eye open for light adaption and one closed for dark adaption. We used to do this if a nightime flare lit up the battleground for target identification. 

 

Anyway, it helps me find my milk and biscuits if im peckish at silly o'clock. 

[kev]

I tend to use a small torch these days.  Ever since I tore my hip muscles by stepping over the rabbit on the stairs in the dark, and finding a black cat under foot.... and down I went. Ouch. 2 months of limping, painkillers and cold gel.

 

[Jimtheslim]

I tend to only creep around in the dark when I'm in other people's houses.

[Hawksmoor]

I am less nimble than I used to be and the astronomy trained mince pies are not quite so keen. Earlier in the month or was it February, (so many cloudy nights), whilst enjoying a silly hours of the morning observing/imaging session, I remembered leaving a star chart by the side of our bed. My wife was asleep, so I climbed the stair quietly in the feeble red light from my strapped on headlight. Half way up the stair,carefully avoiding Christopher Robin, I tripped over my own feet and fell quite gracefully under the influence of gravity until the floor of our hall intervened.  Prostrate on the floor and bathed in red light I wondered whether this was the fitting end for an elderly amateur astronomer.  Clearly it wasn't but next time I shall prioritise protection of life and limb over night vision.

George. (Down but not out) 

[JemC]

3 hours ago, kev said:

by stepping over the rabbit on the stairs in the dark, and finding a black cat under foot

i have to ask , the cat i can understand But the ?

 

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

12 hours ago, Gina said:

I was rather puzzled too - an apparently male poster seeming to refer to himself as "babe" a description usually applied to a female.  Could have been a drag act or whatever though...

Shows the value of punctuation in conveying the right meaning.

My initial response was "and at weekends my name is Mandy" NOT!

The comma is a very useful  (and much abused) punctuation mark.

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, MAN or ASTROMAN said:

My initial response was "and at weekends my name is Mandy" NOT!

The comma is a very useful  (and much abused) punctuation mark.

Indeed they are very useful, as illustrated here ?

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Good example Stu.

An old chestnut,but Greengrocer's seem to get singled out for their misuse of commas,and it's true.

Every week when we do our shop at a local,very good,very reasonably priced independent greengrocer,I see signs such as " Best Cyprus Potatoe's" or "English Tomatoe's".

Never mind,they taste good!

[Linda]

Since I started with astronomy in October I have the impression that my eyes are more sensitive for light. Since than I walk around in a dark house at night. Don't want to break down my melatonine by light.