June 25, 2021

Interesting Astronomy Websites

Man Looking At Night Sky
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Astronomy has always been an interest of mine.  Many retired people think it makes a great hobby, whether you just want to read, or to grab a telescope and see what you can see.  To get you thinking below are some web sites to start your exploration.

Astronomy Magazine https://astronomy.com/

This happens to be my favorite astronomy magazine.  I’m a regular reader and subscriber.  Well, they also have a great website.  Besides featuring the magazine, they have sections for news, observing, videos, blogs, and a photo gallery that I always like.

The site has all kinds of interesting info and is a good way to keep up to date on what is happening in the Astronomy world.  For example, right now I’m looking at an article on space related Citizen Science projects where you can get involved right from home.

Astronomy Picture of the Day https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

As the name suggests this site displays a different picture every day.  Todays happens to be a movie of a NASA spacecraft touching the Bennu asteroid.  It is simply amazing.  The site also tells you what is coming tomorrow and maintains an archive of previously featured pictured.

NASA  https://www.nasa.gov/

There is always something interesting on the NASA website.  This is the site we all turn to when there is a big event happening in space exploration.

The Planetary Society https://www.planetary.org/

The Planetary Society was founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan and others.  Their mission is “Empowering the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration.”  The current CEO is Bill Nye (“The Science Guy”.)  There are all kinds of articles, membership, and suggested ways to take action to promote space exploration.

Sky and Telescope https://skyandtelescope.org/

I’ve been an astronomy enthusiast since I was a kid.  It seems that Sky and Telescope (the magazine) has been around forever.  The site includes news, observing guides, reviews and just about anything related to astronomy.

Space.com https://www.space.com/

Space.com seems to be a more commercial take on space and space exploration.  I’ve been on their mailing list for years and their emails always introduce interesting articles.  Lots of good articles even if you have to put up with a little more advertising.

Worldwide Telescope http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/home/

This site includes a web client that allows you to view images from all over the universe.  Definitely worth some exploring!

AstroBetter https://www.astrobetter.com/

This is a blog for professional astronomers.  As such it seems pretty technical.  However, if you want to see what the pros are thinking about and the tools they use you’ll find this site fascinating!

Bad Astronomy https://www.syfy.com/tags/bad-astronomy/

This is an astronomy related blog by someone by the name of Phil Platt.  It looks like the blog has moved around, starting at Discover, then moving to Slate, and now at syfy.com.  It looks like there is a post almost every day and they all look interesting.

Universe Today https://www.universetoday.com/

This is another space and astronomy news blog.  It looks like there are new posts almost every day.  The articles look quite interesting.  For example, the article I’m looking at right now is about how researchers are using clues found on Mercury to discover how earth got its water.

Of course, a simple search on Google will find many more sites to explore.  Give it a try and learn something fascinating!

Filed Under: Hobbies, Learning, Things To Do Leave a Comment
June 19, 2021

Things To Do When Bored

Eyeglasses and Book on desk
Photo by Darius Sankowski – Pixabay

You know you sometimes just get in a funk.  I mean you don’t feel like doing anything.  Pushing the power button on the TV remote seems like a chore and you really don’t feel like watching TV anyway!  You are BORED, for lack of a better term to describe the phenomena.

Well, the obvious cure is to start doing something, anything!  It seems like once the wheels start turning you can keep them turning.  You need to start something.  Here are 25 ideas to hopefully get you started.

Read something.

Read anything, a book, a magazine, a poem.

Watch a really old movie. – I’m talking an old 50s Sci Fi or Western.  Maybe a Humphrey Bogart classic.

Send an email to someone you haven’t talked to in a while.

Send an email to an old business acquaintance or friend.

Clean up your computer of old files and software.  It is amazing how cluttered your computer gets with old programs, bookmarks, and useless files.  Get rid of some of them.

After you get rid of the computer junk above start organizing what is left.

Make sure you have a good computer backup program in place.  Everyone knows they should do this, but it has a way of being pushed back until disaster strikes.

Find an online course to take.

There are so many free and low-cost choices out there.  There is no excuse not to keep educating yourself for your entire life.

Write something.

Write anything.  Make a journal entry (or start a journal.)  Write an article or start a book.

Read your bible or meditate in whatever spiritual way you choose.  It will do you a lot of good and if you’re really in a funk it might help to get you out of it.

Organize your photos – computer or printed.  You have hundreds or thousands – do something with them.

Take a walk.  This could be a walk around the block or an all-day hike.

Take a drive to nowhere in particular.

See what is new in the next town over.  Or maybe drive in a different direction than you ordinarily go.

Organize your Christmas decorations.  Good to do even if it’s not near the holidays.  Do it while you are not exhausted and rushed.

Clean out a drawer.

Drawers have a way of getting full of all kinds of junk.  You might even find some loose change (see below.)

Clean out a closet.  Pick a closet, any closet.  Who knows what treasures you might find.  Maybe donate some stuff you find or sell on Craigslist or Ebay for some extra cash.

Review your books and find some to donate to a library or second hand shop.  I just did this just recently.  I read a lot and rarely do I reread a novel twice.  So, if it’s not a classic why not donate it.

Organize your music.  If your music is scattered all over different devices and locations why not consolidate.  You may have more than you think.

Find a new band or musician to listen to.  The Internet and YouTube is great for this.  Find something new or try a new style of music.

Listen to a podcast.  Maybe listen to something different than you usually do.

Wash and wax your car.  You and your car will feel better and it will help it last longer.

Clean out the garage.  You know it needs it!

Clean out the basement.  You know it really needs it!

Search around for loose change.  And then if you don’t really need it donate it to a worthy cause.

Organize your desk to be more efficient.  You know you are much more productive if you start with a clean organized working space.

Go to the dollar store and find 10 unusual $1 items.  It’s amazing what you will find if you go up and down the aisles.  And you can walk out with a haul of stuff for not much cash.

Now. why don’t you come up with more ideas!

Filed Under: Health, Learning, Things To Do Leave a Comment
June 12, 2021

10 Hobby Ideas for Car Buffs

Washing a car's wheel
Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash

Cars have always been popular and probably always will be.  They are a source of all kinds of hobbies.  Here are some ideas to start feeding your passion for all things cars.

Travel to Car Shows

There are all kinds of car shows and they are happening all over.  There are new car shows at the convention centers in most larger cities.  Car Clubs have local shows where members show their restored or “in process” projects.  Keep a calendar and attend some shows.  Local car enthusiasts love to talk about their cars and might even encourage pictures that you can collect.

Visit Car Dealers

If you can put up with salespeople visiting new car dealers can be fun to see what is new.  Just be careful you don’t get the “bug” and drive one home sooner than you planned!.

Build Model Cars

Building models isn’t as popular as it used to be but can still be a great hobby.  A quick search on Amazon or Ebay will reveal some possibilities.  A model of some exotic car might be as close as most of us will get to the real thing!

Collect Old Car Related Items

This can take many forms.  Almost any old car part is collected by somebody.  And car related items are also popular like advertising signs, brochures, manuals, and even old magazine ads.

Make Your Car Great Again

Maybe you can’t afford that dream car yet so why not make your current vehicle as great as it can be.  Clean it out.  Give it a good waxing.  Fix any minor items needing repair.  It will make you feel better, and I swear cars run better when they are all cleaned up!  It is like they know you care!

Start a Dream Car Savings Account

Maybe your dream car is sometime in the future.  Why not start a separate savings account now.  Just put in a few dollars whenever you can and watch your savings grow.

Fix Up an Old Car

This is what most people think of when they think “car buff.”  Fixing up and restoring an old car can be extremely rewarding.  It can be expensive but doesn’t have to be quite as bad if you buy a more common model, do much of the work yourself and have reasonable expectations.  This is a great project for a retired person.

Visit Junk Yards with Old Cars

I got this idea from a series on the Internet called “Junk Yard Gems.”  The idea is to visit junk yards and try to spot unusual or famous models.  They may have seen better days but are still interesting.  You might be able to combine this with collecting items as described above.

Collect License Plates

This one has been around for a while.  People used to collect license plates from as many states as possible.  You could also collect old or antique plates.

Go To Car Races

This one is obvious and there are many kinds.  There is NASCAR with its huge following.  There are drag races and local races of all kinds.  Get out there and support all those local teams and drivers that put their soul (and a lot of cash) into their love of racing.

What are your ideas?

Filed Under: Hobbies, Things To Do Leave a Comment