In the footsteps of Galileo redux

Hoo boy. So all of three days ago I started this blog with a post entitled, “In the footsteps of  Galileo”, about Galileo’s  achievements, IYA 2009, and starting out in astronomy (image above from Wikipedia).

All of three minutes ago I discovered that the Astronomical League has an IYA 2009 project called, “In the footsteps of Galileo”, with instructions for replicating Galileo’s discoveries for those starting out in astronomy. It’s a cool project, and all it takes is a pair of binoculars and some patience (or fortitude; the Pleiades [#4 on the list] rise about midnight right now and aren’t what you’d call “well placed” until 2 or 3 AM).

The duplicated title is a coincidence–Google lists almost 3000 hits for the exact phrase “in the footsteps of Galileo”–but a fortunate one, because the “Footsteps of Galileo” project hits some of the best stuff I was planning on covering on this blog anyway. In particular, I’ve got some posts lined up on how to take the binoculars you probably already have and make the most of them for stargazing. Stay tuned for more–or, if you’re chomping at the bit, download the “Footsteps of Galileo” observing guide, dig the binoculars out of the closet, and get going (don’t forget Stellarium if you need a little help finding things).

If you’re  looking for something just a little more challenging, the Astronomical League’s Galileo Club includes 12 projects for small telescopes or serious binoculars. You probably will need something with higher magnification (15x-20x) than your average birding binos for those, but even a very small telescope should be adequate. Like, er, this one (shown below), which people have been having a lot of fun with despite, or perhaps because of, its $20 price tag.

Both AL projects are also listed on the right under Observing Lists. “In the Footsteps of Galileo” appears as “5 binocular targets for beginning stargazers”, and the Galileo Club appears as “12 objects for binoculars and small telescopes”.

Have fun!