The Scruffy Astronomer

Sight, in humans, is quite a popular thing. People regard it highly, and do seem to think it's an overall good idea. My experience of sight has been, like most other people, a given. It started great, and as a kid my family would occasionally use me to find things, like shop signs, in the distance. Of course, it does deteriorate over time, and I've worn glasses since early university. It started just for reading, but soon I was wearing them full-time.  It turned out that apart from being long-sighted, I had astigmatisms which were reasonably severe, and getting worse.  You get old Eventually I wasn't able to look through telescopes any longer: unless I had an eyepiece that I couldn't afford, the eye relief - the required distance between the eyepiece and your eyeball - was so short that I had to remove my glasses. Without glasses, of course, all I could see were comets. No, they weren't meant to be there.  Resignedly, I gave up visual astronomy and went deeper into ...

Just a brief one today. Gratulerer med dagen, alle sammen! Idag er det syttende mai - dvs Grunnlovsdag i Norge! Yes, it's Constitution Day in Norway today. Norway adopted its constitution on this day in 1814. On that day the country separated from Denmark. It wasn't a complete victory though, because at the same time Norway was ceded to Sweden. This was part of Denmark's punishment for backing the wrong side in the Napoleonic wars. Norway didn't finally became independent until 1905, when they proudly erased the Swedish flag from their own. Maybe I'm a bit of a Nordophile, but today is also a good opportunity to segue into auroras and the solar cycle. Yes, the Sun is waking up after its mid-cycle nap. Just the other day some weak Auroras appeared and were photographed from Victoria. That's pretty good by Southern Hemisphere standards. Normally they're only seen from the southernmost parts of Tasmania. Auroras are caused by charged par...

I love to go on overnight hikes with my daughter. It's wonderful to spend time with her just out in the bush. We always get on well, but on a hike, we really match and have a great time. The Norwegians have a saying " ut på tur, aldrig sur " (on a walk, you're never grumpy). Summer can be a good time for hiking, as long as it's not too hot, and fires aren't a hazard. The cooler months are better for non-alpine hikes, but because we both work, this was an opportunity to get out, so we took it. Our hike started at Telegraph saddle, and the first day was short, just down to Halfway Hut. From there we went to Roaring Meg and left our packs at the campsite, continuing to the Lighthouse and back with just a day pack. The third day was back to Tidal River via Oberon Bay. However, hiking isn't entirely without problems, though. I'm getting on a little, and Emma is much fitter and stronger than I am. I've had problems with knees and ankles before, and it ga...

The Victorian Alpine country is beautiful, and is recovering from the gigantic fire of 2013, and smaller fires of the last few years. Below the treeline, the fire-ravaged Snowgums are beginning to sprout again, with white, weathered branches standing over round bushes of juvenile growth. Above the treeline, flowers were everywhere - Dandelions waving in the breeze, but also natives - a range of everlastings and the fascinating trigger plants, which breed by whacking bees on their backs with their pollen-laden hammers. Between Diamantina Hut on Mount Hotham and Federation Hut at the base of Mount Feathertop runs a high crooked ridge called the Razorback. Below and to the east, the Diamantina River flows into the Kiewa River. Below and to the west, a maze of creeks arrange themselves into the upper reaches of the Ovens river. In some parts, the ridge is literally two metres across. The track perches precariously on top reminding hikers to stay alert for wind gusts. In sheltered areas, ...

Jan and I went out this morning to do the shopping and found loads more people out than previous weekends. We celebrated by going to a cafe and actually sitting down to have a coffee and a donut. People seem to be optimistic and cheerful, and it's easy to understand why. Melbourne has been released from lockdown, and yes, we made a difference! Today was the third day of no new cases in less than a week. They're becoming known as donut days. It shows what humans can do if they work co-operatively, following sound advice from scientists and medicos and having clear rules and leadership to back it up. Because we weren't working in competition, this was something we did together. It was hard, and yes it cost a lot, both in terms of money and in terms of personal sacrifice, but looking at other countries, what's undeniable is we saved lives. We saved the lives of people we don't know, and we saved the lives of people we do know. It's just another difference between a...