Do you star gaze?

[guidestardan]

I was either camping under the trees or fell asleep soon after dark and missed looking at the starry wilderness available to AT hikers.
Or the moon was out...which is no good for naked eye viewing of the fainter stars and milky way.
Two times that really stand out in my memory are

Once in 1993 I bivvy'd on top of Bald Pate in Maine and it was absolutely the best AT stargazing I have ever done
- except for the night on Max Patch Mtn. in April 1985, with the Lyrid meteors flying overhead.

The northern lights should be more numerous over the next few years. Looking forward to that.

[coach lou]

My camping location is generally aligned to south/ south east so I can watch the stars rise and float on by. When in the West I camp with a Magnetic North View for the chance of getting Northern Lights view.

[StarMan]

Wow, makes me real Happy to see a topic dear to my heart, rising up to be a frequent topic. I find it real easy to blend astronomy and hiking. Just the simple act of rising and resting with the cycle of the sun, makes astronomy awareness a natural part of the day. The first thing I check in the morning is whether the sun is to my left or right on NOBO or SOBO hikes. I always check the location of the rising sun and my orientation of my evening tent set-up. Nothing better than having the warmth of the sun on those cold mornings. (especially if wetness is involved) I like to hike for several hours after my evening meal well into the dark. Catching the planets at first light, tracking the moon cycle over several nights, meteor showers, Aurora events. Astronomy just happens.

----StarMan----

[moytoy]

I used to stare into the sky and not really know what I was looking at. Now with Goggle Sky I have learned to spot the visible planets and know what time of year they are in what location. I know this can be learned from sky maps but the phone app is easier. It just adds to my hiking experience.

[rocketsocks]

One of the neatest little guide books I've found is the "Golden Guide"a series of children's books that is just loaded with information for the kid in all of us.Only weighs about as much as a deck of playing cards,and covers many of the earth sciences.

[Hoop]

Quadrantids meteor shower tonite.

[Tinker]

I saw a nice meteor while testing some sleep combinations last night in preparation for my first winter overnighter this season. It got down to 12 degrees. I was warm and slept well. I probably woke up the neighbors with my snoring .