Thursday, February 14, 2013

Star Gazers

    The other night when I went out for my walk I found my 12 year old neighbor, Kenny, standing on the sidewalk with her dog. She was supposed to be walking her dog. Instead she was standing two doors from her house and looking up in the sky. I asked her what she was doing. (Dumb question.) She was obviously looking at the stars and she told me she liked stars.

   It was one of the clearest evenings we've had for a long time. She told me, "That's Orion over there." I said, "No way! Orion is in the southeast." Kenny bought her ipad out of her pocket and started fiddling around. Then she said, I have an app to show me Orion. Kenny pointed her ipad skyward and all the stars, constellations and planets were named as she pointed at them. I was completely blown away. I am familiar with star maps and charts ,but never imagined these things would be refined into a computer map. Papers used to have star charts once a week and maybe some papers still do.

    So we forgot the dog. I forgot my walk and we looked at stars. It was clear so we'd point and say, "I wonder what that one is?"  In a second or two the app would give us a name. Jupiter is now very bright almost above us and to the south. Take out your field glasses and have look.

   So half an hour goes by in a hurry when you're star gazing. I think the app is called Star Rover and it's free.      

   Kenny is one of he best twelve year old neighbors you could have. She's a "yakker" and she knows how to talk to adults, even old ones. So had a few pluses in a short time...star gazing, visiting and being outdoors.

36 comments:

  1. the app sounds really cool! as does your neighbor. :)

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  2. I have that App too! It's amazing! I think you should invest in An IPad if you don't have one already... That app alone is worth the purchase price.

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  3. A nice kid to have around, I admire her

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    1. Kenny's also a prolific reader so we also talk about books.

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  4. I have an older model iPad I wonder if it works. I am going to google it. :)
    Technology changes daily. I think I'll always be behind.
    Kenny sounds like a sweet kid.

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    1. If it loads it will be fun because it's so easy.

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  5. Last night Gerald and I were wondering what the bright star was in the sky, now I know. Orion is a special constellation for me. During the summer its closer to the horizon so it was a treat to look straight up and see it so clearly. Don't you just love it when meteor showers blaze up the sky? When I was young my brother and I would lay on the hood of the car and watch the summer stars, sure would have caught hell if our parents had seen us on the car though.

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    1. It's been cloudy and cold the last while so I haven't been watching. I was surprised to see Jupiter right above us.

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  6. That is a wonderful app. Had I an I pad I'd get it.

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    1. As I said it was a big surprise because I didn't know such things existed.

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  7. Isn't it just great when we learn from children. I also have this app on my phone - it comes in quite happy. Pull up yer socks Red, my friend and get that app. You will be amazed with the clear evenings that pass with the app - of course, you have just found that out. Nice to hear a young kid is looking at the stars - feel good, Eh.

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    1. Yes, you can learn a lot from kids. The tech world moves very quickly. I'm quite few years behind.

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  8. Yes, Red, the world has sure changed a LOT in the past few decades, hasn't it? If you want to know something about computers, ask a kid1 :-)

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    1. The tech world changes so rapidly. The fist time I was on the internet was 1995. It wasn't much!

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  9. What a wonderful encounter. There are lot more great kids out these than is generally acknowledged....:)

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    1. This one I'v e known for about four years. some of the dirt bags and toughs are OK too if they let you get by the exterior.

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  10. Sounds like a very nice way to spend an evening. I have an app similar to that called Night Sky.
    Have a great weekend!

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    1. I'm not surprised that there would be quite a few different apps.

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  11. Cool..I have been star gazing at night too..we have had some beautiful clear cold nights. Nice to hear about young people..they always know more that us oldsters:)

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    1. You know it's not fair because you have all those grandchildren who can show you this stuff!

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  12. Great to see a young kid out learning about the World. Pity there are not more like her rather than being "couch potatoes" in front of a TV or play station thingy.
    Re: Things in the sky. Did you see this over there.
    "A CLOSELY tracked asteroid, about 45 metres wide, whizzed safely past Earth on Friday, the same day a much smaller, previously undetected meteor hit Russia, injuring nearly 1000 people."

    Seems from reports here that it was visible with binoculars in the early hours of this morning - Saturday 16th. Your time (Canada - Friday evening).
    The weather reporters on TV here told watchers where to train their binoculars or telescopes for the best viewing, but having tried it on other rare occasions and seen nothing, I dismissed the idea. Only remembered it when I looked at this blog this morning and then checked the net news!
    Lordy be's - I suppose I am now a "bed potato"?
    Cheers
    Colin (Brisbane. Australia)

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    1. The asteroid in Russia must have been very scary for those people.

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  13. How lucky you are to have such an interesting young neighbor.

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    1. Most kids around here are pretty cool. I have an edge because I've dealt with this age group all my life. I don't mind dealing with the reprobates either. They also have lots to tell you.

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  14. Being able to look at the stars was one of the reasons we purchased the house we are living in, LadyCat and I. It is far enough from town where there is no light interferring. We are next to a field, so it is open space. You could lay on a blanket and get lost looking upward. A great view.

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    1. You made an awesome choice. Growing up in the forties light interference was a now issue.

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  15. A lovely story Red.
    I've often wondered what the names of the stars are I gaze at sometimes.

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    1. Well, after this you won't have any excuses.

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  16. I don't have an iPad (yet), but our daughter in Alaska does. They're an amazing little machine. We love to Skype with her...she uses her iPad and I use my iMac.

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    1. I do the skype thing and sooner or later I'm going to have to get an ipad.

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  17. I hope you can deal with another reprobate... I signed up as a follower of your blog today ;-) Only had time to read a few but think the others will be well worth going back to read.

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    1. Welcome aboard! It's great to have you drop into Hiawatha House and be a follower.

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  18. I don't have the app, but I'm heading over to get it --- I adore the night time sky!

    Linda
    *♥´¨) ¸.-´¸.-♥´¨) ¸.-♥¨) (¸.-´ (¸.-` ♥♥´¨
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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  19. Red sounds like a brilliant young lady and what a wonderful way to spend time. I used to sit in the evenings and gaze at the stars, this was pre-computer days and now that you've shared this app with us all I'm going to check it out. Thanks!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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