Stargazing -- key is knowing where to look
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GROWING up in the south of the country clearly helped fuel Gillian Deenihan's interest and enjoyment in looking up at the night sky.
"I was fortunate enough to grow up in Kerry, where we enjoy spectacular night-time views," she says. Now living in Dublin, she was prompted to take a more serious interest in astronomy following a week spent sleeping outdoors in the Australian outback.
"When I returned home, I decided to look into finding out a bit more about the marvels under which I had dozed. Internet research brought me to the Astronomy Ireland (AI) home page, and I have been an active member ever since."
Astronomy as a hobby is working out at less than a euro a week with her membership of AI, which includes the monthly magazine, email updates, and monthly lectures costing €5 each. The main expense for many astronomers is a telescope, but so far Gillian has not felt the need to buy one -- although she does have a pair of binoculars.
"You would be amazed at just how many objects are visible without even binoculars, like the ISS (international space station) flying overhead, constellations, moon or planet conjunctions, meteor showers, nebulae -- to name a few -- and even distant galaxies," she says.
"In fact, the Andromeda Galaxy can be seen with the unaided eye, if you know where to look."
