Handicapped Astronomy
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Handicapped Astronomy
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Handicapped Astronomy
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Living In The Real World
The wonder, beauty, and awe-inspiring nature of the night sky should be available to all who have eyes to see it. That is not always the reality. For those who are physically challenged, what others never give a second thought about doing can be so difficult as to seem nearly impossible. It can also be downright dangerous.
Looking on the Internet for solutions to make handicapped astronomy possible did not reveal a lot of practical help. Most ideas while quite ingenious required having a friend with a physics degree, a machine shop, a garage full of woodworking equipment, and a very healthy budget. What about those of us in the real world? Why is it people with limited mobility always seem to be expected to work twice as hard and pay twice as much to do the same thing? I don’t think that always has to be true with astronomy. There are some practical solutions that don’t have to break the bank or the back. As you read this, if you have other ideas that work let me know, as I might be able to work them into a future revision of this page.
Danger! Danger! Will Robinson!
OK, this is kind of like preaching to the choir. You know if it is difficult for you to get around in the daylight it is even more so in the dark. You also know your abilities and limitations. Just knowing it can be done safely may be enough to inspire you to come up with ideas of your own on how to make astronomy happen in your own yard and beyond.
Admitting there is real danger in being outside in the dark you need to remember the first rule is the same for you as it is for anyone – don’t observe alone. Accidents can happen. Besides it is more fun when you share the experience. The second rule is to have a cell phone on you (not in the tool box or glove compartment – on you) just in case you or your observing partner need help.
We will cover equipment issues later, for now, let’s concentrate on where you will observe. Some of the obstacles you face are common to all amateur astronomers. You need to avoid lights, trees, and buildings. Maybe the deck attached to your house is the best observing site you will be able to reach. If so make the most of it. Your eyes will need to be dark-adapted to do your best observing. Close all curtains that would spill indoor house light out on to your observing site. Better yet install solid blinds. Turn off as many lights in the house as you can get by with, especially near the windows. Inform family that under no circumstances are they allowed to turn the porch light on just to “check” on you. This, with some appropriate light blocking screens between you and the neighbors should go a long way in making your deck observatory acceptably dark.
With thought and preparation you may be able to go to a lot darker site with a much more open view of the sky. I suggest checking out paved parking lots in a nearby state park. A park with a gatehouse, where you must pay to get in, should offer some relative security. Let the gatehouse attendant know what you are doing and they might have some ideas on the best spot for this. You will need to watch for security lights that might be a deterrent. If you ask the right person it might be possible to get a light turned off for the night! Hint – try making arrangements in advance. The paved area will offer a relatively smooth and level spot to set up. Your observing site can be right beside the vehicle to minimize the need to carry anything. A bonus to this is that people are naturally curious. When you set up a astronomy equipment in a public place, people will gravitate towards you. This will give you the privilege to share the universe with others who might otherwise never have such an opportunity.
If a paved area is unavailable, an open field that you can drive on will do nicely but of course you will have to make certain the ground is level enough to allow freedom to move around. Also make sure there are no holes, rocks, or other obstructions that can cause harm in the night. Pavement is preferred but the field makes it easy to open the trunk and set up right at the tailgate.
Your First Observing Equipment
The less stuff you have to take with you to observe the easier. Fortunately you don’t need much equipment to get started. In fact, don’t go out and buy a lot of things yet. You will need some sort of red light to protect your dark-adapted vision. One with adjustable intensity is best. You need the light to move around (obviously), to keep track of and manage equipment, to look at star charts, and for taking notes.
A budget approach for a red light is to paint the glass of a normal flashlight you already have with several coats of red fingernail polish. Other low cost options are to cover the lens with multiple layers of red cellophane or cut up a see through red plastic folder. Make sure to make the light pretty dim. Even though you are using a red light, if it is too bright it will still mess with your dark-adaptation. A light specifically made for astronomy will cost around $20.
You might require a bright white light for use when packing up. This is one area where it is understandable if you need to break the rules because you are putting safety first. Inform those who will be observing with you of your intentions. While some self absorbed types might refuse to observe with you, others will understandingly oblige by protecting their eyes when needed and some good folks will even help you pack so the white light stays off. Just be considerate yourself. If you need the white light you need it, but if you can safely manage in red light – do it.
The next thing you need is a planisphere. You don’t have to spend any money, as there is a link to a free one you can print out on my astronomy software page but a good quality planisphere can be purchased for under $15. The Night Sky Planisphere comes highly recommended. Why do you need one? It will show you what constellations and bright stars are visible on any given night of the year and where in the sky to look for them. Being able to locate these serves as reference points to locate other deep space objects.
An excellent introductory resource for anyone interested in the night sky is the book Night Watch by Terrence Dickerson. It has a wealth of information in its pages that is presented in an interesting manner. It also has some basic star charts that will work for beginners whether naked eye or using a telescope. I highly recommend you get this book.
That is all the equipment you need. Now go out and spend some time learning the constellations and becoming familiar with their orientation and movement across the sky. Take more than a casual look at the Moon. Have some fun watching for satellites and meteors. You can see open clusters like the Pleiades and the Beehive cluster, and if your site is dark enough there is the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. From my site I can make out a few nebula including the great nebula under Orion’s belt. All of this awaits you with just your dark-adapted eyes. There won’t be much detail but that is not the point. The point is physically challenged you will have observed something very few eyes have ever taken the time to see!
The Next Step
If you have taken the above advice and are enjoying it you will want to move up to the next step. Get a pair of binoculars. With them you can see craters on the Moon. You can see the moons of Jupiter. The coat hanger is one of my favorite binocular targets. It looks just like its name as is found south of Albiero, which is the head star in the constellation Cygnus. What you can see naked eye is even more fabulous through binoculars. Scanning the Milky Way is simply breathtaking. In addition you can actually see most of the Messier objects through binoculars.
An excellent resource on what you can see and where to look is Phil Harrington’s book The Universe Through Binoculars. This might also be a good time to get a star atlas. One that will grow with you and is easy to use in the field is Sky Publishing’s Pocket Sky Atlas. It won’t really fit in your pocket but it is compact enough to carry easily and thorough enough to actually use. There are also free options listed on my software page.
You probably already own some 7x35’s binoculars, and these will work fine to take you deeper. If you don’t own a pair, you might opt for the 10x50’s. They are a little bigger and a little higher magnification. The first number is the magnification and the second number is the size of the objective lens on the big end of the binoculars in millimeters. I own a pair of 11x56 Oberwerk binoculars that I like. Astronomy is more demanding of binoculars than bird watching. So if you can afford it get fully multi-coated optics and Bak 4 prisms as these will allow more light to make its way to your eyes.
You can spend a little or a lot for binos. Do understand, the old adage you get what you pay for, does apply. You will notice a major difference between a $30 pair from the sporting goods section and a $100-150 pair intended for astronomy. My opinion is above this price point the beginner will probably not notice all that much difference in the view between the high dollar and lesser expensive sets. Why then would some people spend $1000 or more for binoculars? With experience often come higher expectations. These folks can tell the difference and squeezing every photon possible out of the night sky is worth it to them. What ever you have or can afford to get just use and enjoy them.
For those with limited mobility there are other important considerations beyond deciding 7x35 or 10x50 and the quality of the optics. Be honest with yourself. How limited is the use your arms? Binoculars need to be held steady to view detail. 7x35’s being smaller and lighter are easier to hold steady. My 11x56 are about as big as most people can hold reasonably steady. Even then most can’t hold them for long because they get heavy in a hurry. For the best possible views everyone should consider mounting his or her astronomical binoculars.
With the use of an L-shaped bracket your binoculars can be mounted on a monopod. You can get a monopod at most any sporting goods store. The L bracket you will most likely have to order from an astronomy supplier. Try searching Amazon.com. They can be found starting at around $7. This won’t hold them rock steady but much better than handheld. Most monopods are height adjustable. I haven’t seen it tried but one might be able to use them in a wheelchair.
A photo tripod will also work with binoculars. I mount mine backwards so the altitude adjustment doesn’t hit me in the throat. I am not sure this setup will work with a wheelchair. The best method for mounting binoculars is a parallelogram mount. They differ by model but some are designed to set to the side of the observer. Though probably not specifically designed with this in mind they are ideal for wheelchair use. It takes only a little effort to move the binoculars around and the mount will hold them extremely steady.
Parallelogram mounts are relatively cheap by astronomy equipment prices but that means a couple hundred dollars and on up. For a piece of equipment that will be used for years that is actually a pretty good deal. Some come with a tripod, and some do not, so pay attention to what you are getting. There are various plans on the Internet to build your own if you have that friend with the machine shop I mentioned in the beginning of the article.
It is important to consider the total weight of the equipment and the ease of set up. The bigger and heavier your binoculars the heavier everything else required. If you are not careful, the tripod, mount, binoculars, and counterweights, you could easily top 40-pounds or greater! Being of limited strength and mobility it is important to keep it light. My advice is to contact the manufacturer and explain your situation and need. Most are very willing to work with you to come up with the lightest application possible. Make sure you ask about total weight including the counterweights and binoculars.
What has been covered so far will take you a long way. In addition you might subscribe to an astronomy magazine. I also suggest you find an astronomy club in your area and attend some meetings. Our meeting place is not handicapped friendly. You are probably well aware that if you ask most able-bodied people about accessibility they will say a place is accessible but when you look for yourself there is a curb to jump, an uneven sidewalk and steps. So check the facilities out firsthand to see if you can navigate it.
On the next page we will look at the strengths and weaknesses of various telescopes as they relate to handicapped astronomy.
I hope you found something of interest here. If you did drop me a note. If I have written something that is not correct please point it out to me and if you convince me I will get it changed.
Copyright © 2009 by Kevin Sluder
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