Sometimes we forget that this little diversion is actually part of an ancient science called astrology that has had a powerful effect on many cultures dating back to centuries before Christ. That is not to say that astrology is a dead art today. It is easy to find astrology advocates in every town, advertising in the newspaper and on television trying to convince us that they can tell our fortune, our future and help cure our ills by exploring the mysteries of astrology. For city dwellers, this is a revelation as profound as if we discovered aliens living among us. Most of us have no idea the vast panorama of lights that dot a clear night sky when there are no city lights to interfere with the view. Sure we all love the enhanced experience of studying the sky using binoculars and various sizes and powers of telescopes. When television was young, there was a hugely popular show based on the still popular fictional character of Superman. The opening of that show had a familiar phrase that went, Look. Up in the sky. It s a bird. It s a plane. It s Superman! How beloved Superman has become in our culture and the worldwide fascination with extraterrestrials and all things cosmic only emphasizes that there is a deep curiosity in all humans about nature and astronomy, even if many people would not know to call it astronomy. Our Neighbors in Space We have a special feeling toward the other planets that circle our sun. Maybe it s all the science fiction stories about visiting the moon, Mars and other planets. But we love to think about those planets that make up what we call the solar system. that do what our planet does but do it very differently indeed. The phenomenon known as earthshine gives you the ability to see the darkened part of the moon with some detail as well, even if the moon is only at quarter or half display. To kick it up a notch, a good pair of binoculars can do wonders for the detail you will see on the lunar surface. For best results, get a good wide field in the binocular settings so you can take in the lunar landscape in all its beauty. Moon Fever Of all of the celestial bodies that capture our attention and fascination as astronomers, none has a greater influence on life on planet Earth than it s own satellite, the moon. When you think about it, we regard the moon with such powerful significance that unlike the moons of other planets which we give names, we only refer to our one and only orbiting orb as THE moon.