Stargazing – A Way To Destress

As we try to cope with the Covid-19 crisis, we must find ways to reduce stress levels and anxiety. Aside from listening to online music and
reading books, try stepping outside on a clear night and drink in the night sky. The celestial landscape had been the entertainment of
civilizations for thousands of years before the invention of the telescope in 1608.

The next clear night look for the brilliant planet Venus high in the western sky. Follow the movement of the moon as it moves across the sky from night to night. Try your hand at photography with a digital camera (pixels are free). There are many smartphone apps to help with constellation recognition.

Better yet, try to head out of town to country skies on a clear moonless night. Looking up at the canopy of two thousand stars in awe and amazement helps clear the mind.

The power of experiencing nature first hand cannot be put into words, it must be experienced.

Amongst an array of online entertainment, the Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) will be delivering its monthly meeting via Zoom Webinar on Friday, April 3, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. EDT and you are invited to tune in. A link to the RASC and register with Zoom is
found on my web site: www.wondersofastronomy.com.

Gary Boyle
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