The world is white.

With that old binoculars I managed to see two Jupiter’s moons Ganymede and Callisto. However I couldn’t see them very well because Jupiter was too low above the horizon (20°) at that time. Nevertheless I saw Uranus, next to Jupiter, a really faint object. After that experience I used the binoculars to watch at the sky and at the Moon. I really enjoy being out in the night, the fresh air, the darkness around me and the starlit sky above me.

I tried to search for information about telescopes, mainly their prices. I even searched for bigger binoculars. But I think that before spending a big amount of money I should be sure that this is what I really want and, above all, whether I can go out in the night to some dark places on regular basis.

In the meantime I am studying a little of astronomy, mainly positional astronomy, in fact I am building an astrolabe, a simple one made of paper or maybe sheets of wood. It is really a good exercise of geometry and astronomy and has a very interesting historical background which involves many different cultures. A bright example is “A Treatise on the Astrolabe” by G. Chaucer, dedicated to his son it is probably the main source if you want to understand how to build and how it works an astrolabe. And, to my surprise, even if English is not my native language, it is not too difficult to read.

“Lyte Lowys my sone, I aperceyve wel by certeyne evydences thyn abilite to lerne sciences touching nombres and proporciouns; and as wel considre I thy besy praier in special to lerne the tretys of the Astrelabie”