SOME HISTORY and MODERN TECHNOLOGIES
In ancient times, there were no street lights. The skies were brilliant--except of course when the Moon was bright. People studied the stars and constellations, and learned a great deal about them. The ancient stargazers had wonderful dark skies!
Around the early 1900's, even in large cities like New York, people could look up and see the Milky Way. People in their 50's and 60's, etc. can tell you about it! They didn't have the street lights that we have.
Without
air pollution and “light
pollution” from all of our street lights, billboard lights, bright cities,
airports, parking areas, and sports arenas, the Moon etc., it would have been an
astronomer's dream.
But, if you are interested in the sky, you might have some technology that will really help you and it is awesome—it is
the technology of Smart Phones and iPads. Why? Because they have GPS in them!
With several of the Astronomy Apps (like the inexpensive Star Walk app for Apple products), you can hold your
iphone up to the sky, and see exactly what constellations and planets
and stars you are looking at! Ten
years ago, this was impossible! When my Astronomy Club has Star
Parties in the desert, many people use their smartphone apps. Many people have been starting
astronomy hobbies because of these phones. When you look up at a bright star
that you wonder about, you can open up one of these app-programs—and hold a
Smart Phone up towards the sky—and learn what you are looking at. It's amazing!
Another amazing app from Apple is the Orion StarSeek Astronomy app. They offer three different levels of this app. The first level costs about $10. The other 2 levels contain the ability to control an astronomer's expensive, computerized telescopes. These are much more expensive apps.
The Android phones with GPS have some similar apps and shouldn't be too hard to find.
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