i used to think of stargazing as complicated. You need equipment: charts and calendars; a telescope; a flashlight covered in red cellophane so you can see your charts and adjust your telescope in the dark without 'blinding' your eyes; a reclining chair; notebook and pen; etc. It's work!

it wasn't until I was older that I realized you don't need anything at all but to show up.

if you really want a clearer look, a pair of good binoculars works surprisingly well.

my favorite constellation for a long time was Orion. But my favorite to find through the binoculars was the Beehive. It has that fuzzy look that indicates there's more than a few isolated stars in your view; those are clusters and galaxies containing thousands of stars over 500 light years away. The implications rob me of my breath and set my tongue silent, my brain adrift, my heart on fire.





Image URL: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/files/2013/06/m44bash.jpg
from nationalgeographic.com