Astronomy is one of the few things that I can honestly say gives me absolutely nothing but pure enjoyment. It's very easily my favorite hobby. I spent last semester as the Vice President of the Georgetown Astronomy Club. Before you all get very impressed by my oh-so-obvious leadership skills, I'll mention the fact that there were only two of us in the club at the beginning of the semester, so I earned the position by default. =)

Georgetown once had one of the foremost programs in astronomy in the country. Unfortunately, the DC skies grew too bright, and the program was forced to shut down in the 1970s. The Astronomy Club now has access to the observatory and the equipment therein, including a beautiful, over one hundred years old, 12.5 inch refracting telescope. The club holds office hours in the observatory at least once a week during the school year so that visitors can access the scopes and learn a bit about the history of astronomy at Georgetown. Last semester, we held office hours on Thursday nights from nine until eleven, but those hours are subject to change, so if you are in the area and feel like visiting us, you may want to call ahead. The number is area code 202, 687-STAR.

I'll need to take some photographs of the observatory and the telescopes when I get back to school so that you can see just how big the big scope is. =)

When I'm at home in Hawaii, my observation equipment is a bit more modest. My family owns a little refractor. Even though it is tiny, thanks to the relatively dark sky in Hawaii (darker than DC, at least) I am able to see quite a bit. Jupiter and Saturn are both beautiful through it, as are some of the easier to find objects in the southern sky. Unfortunately, Honolulu's city lights pollute the sky to the west of my house, and the northern sky is largely obscured because I live on the side of a mountain. I love going home to Hawaii in any case; even with the mountain and the light pollution, I can see infinitely more than I can in the District!