Stuck in doors!

All the rain along the east coast has curtailed any stellar observing and quality RVing so we've been doing a lot of baseball watching along with winter planning. The economy is on all of our minds and we're all waiting for the "other shoe" to fall as our Government attempts to correct a wrong that, from what I understand, they started! We've been hearing about gas/fuel shortages in the southern states, which certainly isn't sitting well with all our RVing friends as we head into late fall and winter.
To change the subject, the sun continues to be very "quiet" as the Solar Minimum continues. That means we've had near zero sunspots to watch "dance" across the sun's surface (with a solar filter). I hear it's been the quietest period since they've been recording solar activity. Currently, I use a "white light" solar filter, which only permits sunspot observing. Some day I'll get into a Hydrogen Alpha solar filter/scope which will give grand views of solar promenances and the churning/burning of the solar surface. The only caveat is that the cost of such a filter/scope is very high! The night sky is still clinging to the summer and fall constellations. The summer guardian, Hercules is reluctantly passing on the "night watch" to his winter replacement. Each night you can see the winter guardian, Orion, climbing into the sky a little earlier. Jupiter manages to continue to give us some exceptional views of it's moons and cloud bands. An especially cool event to watch is the shadow of one of it's moons as it transits (crosses) the surface of the giant planet. It's a challenge to "catch" the moon transit visually with smaller amateur telescopes but most rewarding to say you've seen it. If you're lucky enough to watch a Jupiter moon transit with a 12" or better telescope you might be able to see the moon that's making the shadow... and that's a treat!
I think there's some blue sky coming our way, there's hope for a clear sky for all activities out of doors!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! If you're wondering just who "Prof CQR" is. Why, it's me! Professor Cosmo Q. Redshift is the "character" I developed as part of the "Star Parties" I hosted at various elementary schools when I was active in the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club in Groveland. Professor Cosmo was decked out in a cranberry red lab coat with stiched on "glow in the dark" space objects, a curly long white hair wig, the large "elderly" wrap around sun glasses (that fit over your regular glasses) and, of course, a red light! The Professor heralded from the "Starry Night University!" I miss "getting into character" once in awhile but since retirement we've enjoyed hitting the road in our Journey motorhome. But, as many of you who know me, you know I still manage to "get into the role" every now and then while at a campout.
So, if you care to follow us as we "explore" the sky and the great land of this country just visit my blog every now and then!
Dave