For hundreds and thousands of years, people have looked to the night sky and wondered about our place in the heavens.
Today, people who want to begin exploring and learning about the cosmos don’t have to do anything much different than our ancestors did.
“With your eye you can see the constellations,” said John Martin, associate professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Illinois Springfield. “On summer nights, it’s fun just to lay on your back and see four to five meteors an hour — even without a meteor shower going on.”
“Anyone who hasn’t should look at the moon through a pair of binoculars or even under a dark sky,” Martin said. “In a good dark place, you can start cruising around looking at different stars and parts of the sky.”
For those looking for a guided tour of the night sky, UIS host Star Parties that resume on Friday nights in April.
Martin was featured by The State Journal-Register on March 15, 2013.
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