A new (but temporary) office denizen: my 8" Meade Schmidt-Newtonian telescope, which I'm sure is just happy to be out of the closet and facing skyward for the first time in about 8 months – even if we are in the middle of one huge light dome.

I've always been intensely interested in astronomy since I was young, and pulled the trigger on this scope in college. Many a night spent under the stars, hunting down doubles, clusters, nebulae and galaxies. I bought it just in time for the much-hyped Mars apparition in August of 2003, which was a spectacular sight for a new telescope owner.

While I was still in Idaho, I was able to take it out a few times a month – but whenever I think about the telescope now, I'm hit with a rueful wash of sadness. Astronomy is a difficult hobby; not only is it insanely expensive, but, of course, it almost requires one to adopt a near-nocturnal routine. I was initially very excited for the move down to Arizona, as this state is renowned for some of the best skies in the country – indeed, in addition to some of the most celebrated professional/research observatories (Lowell and Kitt Peak), we have outstanding astronomy departments at U of A and ASU. Oh yeah, and it's warm here, too.

But, as things often go, I've found less and less free time to go out with the telescope. In order to reasonably escape the city lights, I have to drive nearly an hour outside urban limits – and even then, conditions are far less than ideal. I'm hoping that having it set up in the office will encourage me to take more frequent action...Keane Star Party, anyone? Stay tuned!