A day at the rat races, a night at the observatory...

I remarked to the CEO tonight that one of my true joys is driving to and from work. Like many others in western Hanover County, I head in to the West End on Rt 33/Mountain Road/Staples Mill Road. But the drive from our house to 33 has got to be some of the most scenic stretch of asphalt in the state. However, unlike many scenic roads in VA, this one doesn't go on for miles making your stomach churn with every dip, bend and twist. It's just fun enough to drive, and offers many scenic moments: winding roads, majestic tree canopies and rolling pastures filled with cows. It's pleasant enough when the weather is nice, but add in some morning fog, or changing leaves, or even snow and you have a recipe for breathtaking beauty.

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/petitepomme/

One of the neat things we have near us is the Keeble Observatory at Randolph-Macon observatory. I first went here a few years ago when it was announced that they did free public viewings starting in September. The observatory is usually manned by a few undergrad students checking out the planets, stars and galaxies. Tonight we went so Big Red could finish up a belt loop and earn his Webelos Scientist activity badge. Highlights of the evening included seeing the bands on Jupiter through the 12" cassegrain telescope, seeing a binary star, and seeing what was most likely a satellite moving across the night sky. However, the highlight for Little Red was getting to rotate the observatory's dome with the press of a button. Big fun, advancement award - check.

Keeble Observatory photo courtesy of Google Maps, Street level view

For more on the Keeble Observatory, see the links at the right.