Did You See the Solar Eclipse 2017?

Today millions of people across the United States watched the solar eclipse. Some were lucky to be in the totality, most were in areas where you only can see a partial eclipse. I was in Baltimore, MD at the Maryland Science Center. While we did have to wait for clouds near the maximum eclipse, we still got a good views when we did. 

Solar Eclipse 2017 Through the Clouds in Baltimore, MD

I was able to capture the partially eclipsed sun through the clouds that were just the right thickness. What did you see during the eclipse? Did you try any of the safe viewing tricks? 

Save those eclipse shades for the next solar eclipse that will cross through the United States in 2024. The path of totality will go from Texas to Maine crossing through Cleveland, Ohio. Where will you be for the next eclipse? Looking forward to next time, Meet Me Outdoors.

Finding pictures in clouds

I am out at a lakeside in western Maryland and enjoying the view. I am making pictures in the clouds as they pass by. Go and enjoy the day, Meet Me Outdoors

From Mirador de Catarina to Laguna de Apoyo

Mirador de Catarina is a look out point in the town of Catarina in Nicaragua that oversees Laguna de Apoyo, a lagoon that was once an ancient volcano. Any mountain seen is or was a volcano.

With one of my travel friends and someone to guide us, I walked up to the look out point. Once there you can see the lagoon and some of the towns around it. Off in the distance you can see Lake Nicaragua. Many families and other groups of people were around sitting on the benches taking in the view. The area also has shops and food, even horse ride tours. 

After spending time at the top we took a moto-taxi to a resort down by the lake side that let's you enjoy entry some of the amenities, such as lake access for a small fee. The place we went to had a dock, inner-tubes and a sail boat for those who chose to use them. One from the group decided to swim the rest of us relaxed on the hammocks or by the water edge.

Since the lagoon was once a volcano a lot of the rocks were volcanic.  My favorite one to find was pumice which is a light colored or white rock, very light in weight due to air bubbles trapped when it was formed. When I tossed it into the water it would float and the waves would bring it back to the edge.

Even with a kid from our group was tossing any rock he could find to the edge of the water, it was good relaxing time out by the lake. Going from the top of the lookout point and then down by the edge of the water could have been a hike. With the limitations of sun setting at 6 we wouldn't have had enough time down and up from the lake before it got too dark.  It was a great ending to my adventure in Central America.  Looking forward to my next adventure, Meet Me Outdoors.

Parque Nacional Vulcan Masaya - Masaya Volcano National Park

I went to the Masaya Volcano National Park. They had a Visitor Center which has a great exhibit area about the history of the volcano and how volcanoes are formed geologically.   From there you can either either walk or drive to the top of the volcanoes.  There are two active volcanoes and five craters that are in active.  They also have guided tours in the day and even at night.

There are some precautions to note about visiting an active volcano. The sulfur gases and smoke are toxic so they don't recommend staying in the area longer than 5 minutes. It also can erupt or launch material at any time, so you have to be aware of the surrounding sand listen to ranger that is there for safety.  There was an area that had steps as you can see in the first picture that we could not go up due to some damage.  

The part of the park that I visited was called Plaza de Oviedo. It has a clearing for parking and is next to the opening of one of the active volcanoes.  There was a lot of the smoke and steam coming from the volcano, so seeing anymore than the edge that I was standing by was difficult.

Overlooking active volcano Masaya

After taking pictures of the volcano and its surroundings, it was time to head down.  I was with a friend who wanted to walk part of the trail while the others of the group were going to stay a bit before driving down. There was little plant life besides grass so there wasn't much shade along that path. We went about half a mile down before the group came by to get us.  I noticed that it still was another mile or so of driving down before we saw trees and other plants.  It is amazing how a volcano can change the landscape. Active volcano today, ancient volcano crater turned lake tomorrow, Meet Me Outdoors.

Concrete jungle - New York City

On a layover in NYC after a conference. I was on a search for vegan food I found myself looking at the Chrystler Building off and in the distance. My walk took me in the opposite direction when I stumbled upon a street festival. Lots of cool shops and food option but my goal was to go to Blossom du Jour and I am glad I did. They have a great variety of vegan food and gluten free options. Yum!

The pictures are of my view of the city and of the street festival. As you can see even in a concrete jungle like NYC there are some trees. Maybe next time I visit I will have some more time to go see the Central Park or other green spaces.  Enjoying the journey, Meet Me Outdoors.

 

  

Snowing in Baltimore

So Many Stars!

I am vacationing with some friends in western Maryland near Deep Creek Lake.  After dinner it was dark out so I decided to go see what the night sky looks like.  We are staying in a semi-wooded area far from the city, to see the stars you have to look between the branches of the trees surrounding the house. Being from a city suburb with lots of street lights, the only stars you could see the brightest of the bright. The crazy amount of stars one can see in the middle of nowhere never stops to amaze me.  I even dragged my friends out to show them and point out what stars and constellations I could identify between the branches. We just kept saying "there are so many stars!" Then we would turn around and see even more stars. It is dark enough to see the faint Milky Way stretch across the sky.

My work in a planetarium allows me to show visitors a digital projection of the night sky and all of the thousands of stars and I hear how awed they are by the view.  Nothing beats seeing the real thing, it is even better. Take a trip away from the bright city lights, Meet Me Outdoors.

A Train to Maine

Trying a new perspective for travel today. Instead of simply flying up north to Maine I decided to take a train.  I am looking forward to watching the landscapes change from city to rural and everything in between.  

The pics are blurry because I am on a moving train. I am enjoying the scenery as I go. From creeks to small towns to views of a bay with boats sailing through, even a glance at New York City all of which are missed when flying over and only seeing a patchwork of land below.

This vacation is about slowing down and exploring the last bit of northern part of the East Coast, USA that I have yet to see.  No real plans once I get there but for me that is part of the adventure.  Take a break from you busy life, Meet Me Outdoors.

A Day Outside: Berry Picking, Orioles Game AND Concert in the Park!

What a day!  I basically just spent the whole day outside.  What could have been a cloudy rainy day according to the forecast on Friday turned into a hot and humid day in the sun.  I brought my big sunhat, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen... still got a bit of of a sunburn but not as bad. Now on the aloe treatment.  Next time more sun screen!

Today started early with a trip to Larriland Farms were I met one of my friends and we picked raspberries.  They have both red and purple variety at this time of year and even blue berries.  We stuck to the raspberries and got over 5lbs worth that we split between the two of us to take home.  It was getting to be really hot out with the sun overhead so we didn't stay much past noon.  I have already eaten a bunch and the rest are in the fridge waiting for me to blend into a nice smoothie that may turn to sorbet if I decide to freeze it.  Seeing that the rest of this week is looking to be another lovely heatwave, having some sorbet might be perfect use for the berries... Boiling them down into jam is a great way to help preserve them, maybe even a fruit pie, but I enjoy quick and simple so blend, drink, freeze.

Right behind home plate!

 Midday, after I sorted and cleaned the berries I brought back I went to the Orioles vs Blue Jays baseball game.  I traded in the tickets (thanks Grandmom) for a seat that was in the lower level and with some shade.  Turns out I got a great seat, just a few rows below the press box and right behind home plate.  Of course there was a tall guy sitting in front of me who blocked my view a bit, but otherwise really good seats... My brothers might be a bit jealous, but I can't control that.  Because I didn't have too many distractions of other people I actually was able to pay attention to the game... O's won!

Panorama view from my seat

Even a dragonfly wanted to watch the game (it's on the wire)

The panorama view is from the game midway through. I took it from my seat above the head of the tall guy you see in the above picture to the right of the frame. My standard baseball game snack is cotton candy but I also got a fruit smoothie as a nice healthier drink choice that also is very refreshing in this hot weather.

After the game continued on to phase 3 of my day outside in the sun... interestingly enough it's a Sunday.  I moved on to Patterson Park for their summer concert series.  Today's musician was Ellen Cherry.  The concerts are held outside on the eastern lawn of the Patterson Park Pagoda.  Bring a lawn chair, picnic blanket, kids, dogs, munchies, whatever and chill out to some awesome music. Concerts are free and open to the public from roughly 6:30p-8:30p. 

Before the concert by the Pagoda

I tried to get a group of people together but only one person found me, it was pretty crowded.  There was a nice ambiance, for lack of a better word. We picked a nice shaded area below the Pagoda to sit and listened to music.  I brought munchies... including some of the berries I picked.

The picture on the left is from before the concert.  I was walking over a bit early and stopped in the shade a bit before climbing the hill.  Did I mention it was hot outside?  People do climb up inside the Pagoda to see the skyline view of Baltimore.  I prefer the ground level maybe a hill view as you can see in the picture below.  I guess you can call it the "after picture" because the hill is filled with people and you can see Ellen Cherry in the white dress on stage singing. The Pagoda is behind me.  As the sun got lower into what photographers "Golden Hour" which is when everything seems to have a nice golden glow at sunrise and sunset.  I wasn't quiet able to capture that effect in my own pictures, but I was able to observe it from my spot on the hill. 

After my long day outdoors I am happy to be relaxing indoors again wondering where my next adventure may take me.  Stay cool everyone, Meet Me Outdoors.

Moon over the Science Center

I was taking a walk the other day along the Baltimore Harbor and noticed the Moon was out.  I got a picture of it over the Maryland Science Center. (It's the bright object over the arching roof of the building.)

On Friday nights, if it is clear out, they open the observatory to the public.  When the Moon is out, and isn't a full moon, they look at the craters. Sometimes, they even aim the telescope at the planet Jupiter when it is visible in the sky. Even in the city you can see some stars in the sky, you just have to have to scan the sky on a clear night.  But if you want to see more stars you will have to leave the city for that. 

Next time you have a clear night or one with few clouds go outside and look up. (If it's winter you might want to grab a jacket, mittens and a hat so you don't freeze.)  Go explore the sky, Meet Me Outdoors.

Grand Canyon - Arizona

The much anticipated Grand Canyon was planned for the end of our road trip.  We stayed in Flagstaff, AZ and drove up to the South Rim of the canyon.

As mentioned in my pre-road trip blog post that I wanted to get a good panarama of natural sights along the trip, and the Grand Canyon was the place to do it.  Grand Canyon has trails along the rim where you can walk and get various views of the canyon.  There are also places where people can hike down to the base of the canyon, but for this trip we decided that the view from the top is the one we wanted.

View from Mather Point

We started at the Grand Canyon Visitors Center, walked over to Mather Point then to Yavapai Point and Geology Museum. At the Geology Museum there are hands on activities that show the geological history of the canyon and how it was formed. The museum also has park rangers who can tell you about the canyon and some of its interesting features.  Binoculars were available for visitors to use to look down into the canyon.

View of Canyon and Yavapai Point from Mather Point

 From Yavapai there is a walk called the Trail of Time that has samples of all of the layers of the canyon and information about it.  It was recommended by some people we met in our travels to go along that trail as it is very informational.  However, we didn't get a chance to go, so another time perhaps. 

 The park has a shuttle service that takes visitors between the various lookout points along the South Rim.  It runs on a regular schedule so it is easy for people to get around if walking between points is a challenge, or if you want to see more places in a limited time.

I saw lots of families walking around, and strolling along the trail.  Located at each of the visitor centers is information on how kids to become a Junior Ranger as part of the National Park Service experience.  While I am a bit old to be a Junior Ranger, I enjoyed seeing the rangers inspire the next generation. 

No matter where in the Grand Canyon I was, the views were always amazing.  If we stayed longer into the afternoon or early evening when angle of the sun is not directly overhead, the views are said to be even more awesome.  It only gives more reason to return another day.  Until then, I will just have to enjoy the views I captured from my trip.  Enjoy the pictures, Meet Me Outdoors.

Seattle, WA

 Seattle is a great walkable city, once you get past the idea of having to climb a few hills to get to places.  You know when people give the "When I was your age..." speech that usually ends with "going to school involved walking up hill both ways." Well I now understand how that could be possible. Going to dinner we went up one really big hill down a small one then up another big hill. So it resulted in being uphill both ways.  Food was well worth it, despite the climb.

Moonset in Seattle

Afterward, we went down to the waterfront to watch the sunset. Being on the West Coast, a sunset happens over the ocean, this is a nice change since one doesn't have to wake up really early to watch a sunrise over on the East Coast.  Since the moon was still relatively new, we also got to see a moonset not long after the sunset. I tried to take a picture of it since it was a nice clear night, but it may be hard to tell. In the picture with the Ferris wheel and ferry, the moon is faintly visible between the two in the sky. The other evening picture has the moon more visible as it sets, with a bird flying nearby. The phase of the moon shown is called a crescent.

Moonset with bird

We were able to catch the International Space Station as it moved across the night sky.  Pretty cool to watch, knowing that there are people up there in space and their spacecraft can be seen as a dot moving across the sky.  And, with my knowledge of the night sky we were able to locate a couple planets and various star pictures, like the big and little dipper.


This morning we decided to go check out the Farmers Market at Pike Place.  Witnessed fish flying over peoples heads, tried some amazing fresh peaches, and walked around seeing all the various stands at the market, tasting random foods along the way.  Since the peaches were just so good we had to go back and buy a few for the road, they made for a great snack on the train ride.

Gum Wall

A hidden feature, but well marketed as a site to see at the market (besides the fish tossing) is the Gum Wall.  As you may have guessed by its name, the Gum Wall is a wall completely covered with gum.  I only took pictures of part of it, because it is rather massive corner filled with gum.  I am sure no other wall has ever been as minty fresh as this one.  Yet I know that many of you reading this might share the same sentiment I have which is of how gross a wall of used chewing gum really is.

After the market we went on the ferry to Bainbridge Island. There we walked along the Waterfront Trail and through the shopping area in the center of town. You can spend a whole afternoon exploring what the island has to offer, unfortunately we had to make it back in time to catch our train to Spokane, WA which is our next quick stop that begins the driving portion of the road trip.

Me on the ferry returning from the island to Seattle

Until next time, Meet Me Outdoors.

Vancouver

Fountain in front of Lonsdale Quay Market

 First full day in Vancouver started off with SeaBus ride to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.  The first picture is of the entrance to the Lonsdale Quay Market.  There are lots of great shops in the market: food shops, trinkets, even some toy shops. We, my travel buddy Kevin and I, got some apricots and apples from the fruit stand because they were both locally grown. The apple was from Okanagan... around 180 miles from the market, not bad for local.

The view from North Vancouver is rather nice even for a cloudy day.  On the first night we had walked around the convention center which is seen in the second picture on the lower left as the white sails. 

At the edge of the Quay is this look out tower.  For those of you who know me well, you would know that I would never in my right mind climb to the top of that thing... and you are still correct. I got to the top floor of the building it was attached to while Kevin climbed up more to get more pictures of the city and harbor.  Directly behind me from this picture of the lookout platforms is a large crane that blocked most of the view but with creative image selection we got some good pics.

They were setting up for a concert in the park area near the fountain as part of Summer Fest.  We didn't get to stay for the concert because were planning to go meet some friends across town and had to catch the SeaBus back. 

Fountain from above

This is a view of the fountain from where I was on the top floor of the market.  From ground level you can see details of the mosaic but from above the whole under water theme becomes more apparent. We used the fountain for a picnic bench while eating the apples and apricots and enjoying the view of the city between the crane.  It was a great way to start the day in the morning.  We saw lots of families walking about and enjoying scenery as well.

Walking along the harbor we came across various garden patches like this one on the right. Many have some historical connection in relation to unity among nations.  The plaque below the statue shows flags of both Canada and South Korea for this particular.

One of my favorite stops walking along the water has these carved Greeting Figures of the Squamish Nation.  They were at the entrance of a pavilion greeting visitors to the Trans Canada Trail.  The next few pictures show them from various angles.  Each of the carvings have a lot of great character.  The plaque on the first picture explains what each carving represents. This pavilion is located in the west of the Lonsdale Quay where we got off the SeaBus.

Black Squirrel

After leaving the Lonsdale Quay we took the SeaBus back and with a series of trains we arrived at Central Park in Burnaby, Vancouver.  This is where I saw my first black squirrel! Of course it didn't feel like posing for a picture, so you can see it running away in the picture here on the right.  I think I counted three by the time we got left the park. There were also gray squirrels at the park but those I can see any day.

Over all it was a great day in Vancouver, lots more pics that didn't make the cut but I may post them at a later time.  Next stop Seattle... Meet Me Outdoors.

Going on a Road Trip

The summer is winding down and I have decided to go on a road trip to the western United States and part of Canada.  This is a bit of a different kind of road trip than I have done in the past were the destination was usually the point of the trip more than the journey itself.  For this it trip is all about the adventure.  What we will see along the way and how different it may be from where we started.  I will try my best to record this trek by way of pictures and anecdotes.  Share some road trip games played, show the sights, and interesting detours.

For this particular trip my travel buddy and I are starting up in Vancouver, BC Canada, by way of various trains and cars we will some how end up in Phoenix, Arizona two weeks later.  While there is lots of driving involved we do plan to hike some of the great parks that are out west to take a break from sitting in a car for long periods of time.  Both of us are not real mountain climbers but do enjoy taking in the views along the way, likely taking the easy trail or viewing from afar. 

Things I am looking forward to:

• Being out in fresh air away from the city
• Being away from city lights to be able to see a clear sky at night to look for stars and planets
• Seeing more trees than people
• Seeing new interesting wildlife 
• Hoping not to encounter a bear in the wild
• Getting a decent panorama image of natural sights - Grand Canyon especially
• Learn something new about life out west
• Much, much more...

Stay tuned, Meet Me Outdoors.

Follow Your Curiosity

Early Monday morning around 1am, I stayed up intently watching NASA TV as the newest rover, named Curiosity, land on Mars beginning its 2 year mission.  I remembered that Mars is still visible in the evening sky so when I did the SciCast for the Maryland Science Center I mentioned the mission and where to find Mars this month in the sky.   Listen to the August '12 SciCast to learn more.

Here is the transcript from the SciCast:

Early morning on August 6^th, at 1:31 am Eastern Daylight Time, the newest Mars rover landed safely on the Martian surface.  Mars Science Laboratory, or Curiosity, is a large car-sized rover now located inside Gale Crater where it will begin a 2-year mission. The goal of the mission is to assess whether the landing site ever had, or still has, environmental conditions favorable to microbial life. 

To find Mars in the evening sky this month look toward the south western part of the sky and you will see 3 bright objects near the horizon. The star Spica, of the constellation Virgo, is the lowest twinkling bright object. About 3 finger widths above Spica, is the planet Saturn which has a yellow color and will appear as a non-twinkling point of light. Making its way between Saturn and Spica is the planet Mars, which also appears as a non-twinkling pink point of light. 

One way to confirm that you found this threesome is to look for the Big Dipper in the northwest, follow the arch of the handle to the bright red star Archturus then spike down to Spica.  Above Spica are the two planets. At the beginning of the month these 3 will appear as a triangle with Saturn as the top point, Mars on the right and Spica on the left.  On August 13^th and 14^th Mars will have moved in between Saturn and Spica forming a line.  After the 14^th of August, Mars continues to move more to the southwest creating a mirrored version of the triangle from the beginning of the month. 

 

Go outside and look up. What can you find in the night sky? This weekend August 12-13 is the peak for the Perseid Meteor Shower, look to the north eastern sky after midnight to see this event.  Later in the month, the Moon will be near Saturn and Spica on August 21st, and near Mars 22nd.  Spend the next clear night star gazing and enjoy the view, Meet Me Outdoors.

Last in a Lifetime Event June 5/6, 2012

On June 5/6, 2012 there is a last in a lifetime event happening.  Depending one where you are in the world you may be able to catch a glimpse of this occurrence.  Last time this happened was June 2004 and the next time will not be until December 2117.  That's over a hundred years from now!

So what is this amazing event??

It is the Transit of Venus.  A transit, in astronomy terms, is when one object passes in front of the face of another object. In this case, it is when the planet Venus passes between Earth and the Sun such that we see it move across the face of the Sun.

WARNING: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!! 

THIS WILL DAMAGE YOUR EYES!!!!

Venus will appear as a tiny dot moving across the face of the Sun.  This alignment where Earth, Venus and the Sun are along the same plane does not happen often, and usually occurs in pairs 8 years apart.  So if you missed the June 8th, 2004 transit of Venus, this one of 2012 will be your last chance to try to catch it as the next time this happens is December 11, 2117.   

For more information on safe viewing of this event and when to see it in your location see the website TransitOfVenus.org.  Check to online see if your local observatory, planetarium or stargazing/astronomy clubs will be hosting an event during the transit.  The closer you are to middle of the Pacific the better chance you will have of viewing of the full transit, which takes about six hours from start until finish.  Otherwise you might just catch it either at sunrise or sunset.  East Coast of the United States will see the transit as the sun is setting beginning around 6:04pm and until 8:30pm when the Sun has set. 

The Maryland Science Center, located at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, will be hosting a viewing event from 6pm-8pm.  There will be various ways available to safely view the transit as well as other fun hands-on activities.  The activities will start before the transit begins, and will continue until the Sun and Venus go behind the buildings. 

I know I will be there to see this rare event and I hope you will join me, Meet Me Outdoors.

Oh! What A Beautiful Morning!

No fooling, it is beautiful out! Sun shining, birds chirping, people out in just t-shirts and shorts, and I am going to take a walk around the neighborhood.  Maybe even explore some part where I haven't gone yet, I encourage you to do the same.  I think I might go up to Federal Hill Park to see the harbor from a different vantage point.  I'll be sure to share some pictures and video if I make any.

I hope you have a fun day as the weather gets nicer.  Remember to wear sunblock and a hat if you have a bright sunny day like it is here in Baltimore.  Enjoy the day, Meet Me Outdoors.

Harbor from many angles

While I know that it has been some time since my last posting I have not given up my desire to spend more time outside.  Ok, ok it has been a month since my last posting but in that month I have made good progress.  I have seen the Baltimore harbor from many angles, different sides and have made some wonderful discoveries.

 Since the Inner Harbor is just one small section of the harbor I walked a little under a mile on each side over the last few weeks.  As far as Fells Point on one side and along the harbor near the American Visionary Art Museum (which, by the way, has a great sculpture garden). Each time I went a little farther out than the last hoping to see more.  Yes, the pictures are not great, but they were from my phone, so I am sure you can understand. 

Anyway, there was a lot to see and I still have not seen it all.  The first two pictures are from the south side of the harbor looking across to the northern side.  And the bottom two pictures are actually from the norther side looking back so still aimed northward, oddly enough. I guess I did that because I went out just before sundown and the light was coming from the southwest making the buildings on the northeast light up nicely. 

I truly like the autumn because of all the colorful trees.  Especially how in the city here there still are trees around, even where there are buildings that seemed squished together a bit of nature is still present. Being along the water is nice too because of how peaceful it can be just to look across at the boats and water all coming together.  There are lots of interesting features that make the harbor such a unique place. 

While autumn is coming to an end soon, we know winter is on it's way, with the beautiful snow that comes with it. For some of you farther north it may already be here.  I am new to living this far south in the states, so I won't be able to see as much snow as I am used to. Here is the next challenge for you.  I am going to need all of you readers who are in places where you will have snow this winter to go outdoors and take some pictures of the snow and email them to me.  I will post them so others can enjoy seeing your pictures of winter as well.

Let's have some fun this season! Come along and Meet Me Outdoors.

Patterson Park Pagoda

I know it has been a few weeks since I last posted, but I have been going outside and exploring the great outdoor adventures that Baltimore has to offer.  One of them is seen on the right. The Patterson Park Pagoda. Great alliteration, right?

Anyway, I saw Patterson Park on the map and as I am still new to this part of Baltimore I asked my aunt if she'd take me to see the park.  We were only able to walk around part of the park since it was so big.  The Pagoda had actually been something that she wanted to see at the park and go to the top of but has never had the chance to because it was usually closed when she was there.  Since it was a Sunday, and not yet the end of October, it was open to visitors we took turns going up (we had brought her dog with us for a walk around the park but dogs are not allowed to go in the Pagoda).  I went up first, and for those who don't know me I am actually a tiny bit afraid of heights, so I only made it to the first level up and didn't want to stay there long.  It was a great view but I was not ready to climb to the top for the full city view so I came down and let my aunt take her turn. She went all the way to the top, and had me take a picture of her there with her camera phone.  Unfortunately, my aunt didn't stay in one place when I switched to my camera phone so she isn't in the picture you see with this post.

Patterson Park has stuff to do for the whole family. Has lots of green space to explore and play, places like the Pagoda overlook the park, athletic fields, community gardening space, nice paths to walk/run/stroll, and in the summer there is a pool while in the winter the ice rink opens.  I know that I will have to go back many times to see all that there is to see. So come along, Meet Me Outdoors.

Looking from a different perspective

The other day I mentioned that I was going to an Observation Night at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA.  What amazed me most beside getting to see some celestial objects like the moon and some planets was seeing the Boston skyline at dusk, just after sunset. Of course my camera is not the best for taking night pictures I still wanted to take a couple to remind me of how cool it was.

Where the red is in the sky is where the sun went down, so the first picture was taken earlier than the second picture because there is more light along the horizon. These were taken from the roof of the Museum of Science's garage.  The tallest building on the left is the John Hancock Tower and the second tallest on the right is The Prudential Center, aka The Pru.  I actually went to the top of The Pru, for someone like me who is afraid of heights it was not so bad as long as I didn't look down. But to see it from this angle at night it was a different experience. The horizon is where the ground meets the sky it is also called a skyline.  What do you see along the horizon where you live? Do you have tall buildings, trees, houses, mountains? Do you live near a lake or ocean where you see the water and sky meet?  

That night I also tried to take a picture of Venus which is the really bright object in the sky in the 3rd picture.  It is much more exciting to see in person than in this picture.  So I do encourage you to go and look for it on your next clear night.  Venus is visible just as the Sun is setting in the western part of the sky.  Some times it is seen right before the Sun rises. This is why Venus is nicknamed "The Morning and The Evening Star," even though it is really a planet not a star.  It is bright enough to be seen in the city, you just have to find a spot to look for it where there are no buildings blocking your view.  There is a simple trick you can use to tell if an object in the sky is a star, a planet or airplane. Light traveling from a star has to travel many light years to get here and comes to our eyes in points of light, as these points of light travel through our atmosphere it bounces around giving it a twinkly appearance.  While light reflected off a planet comes to our eyes as disks of light since they are closer to us than the stars so they do not twinkle. An airplane will be moving faster across the sky and has blinking lights of different colors like green and red.

Go and discover what you see on your horizon.  Compare looking at night versus looking during the day. What changes?  Come along and Meet Me Outdoors.