Mindful Stargazing

09/27/21 • 32 min

Dr. Mark Westmoquette completed his PhD in Astrophysics at University College London in 2007. He studied the effects of young, energetic stars on their surroundings. He went on to do post-doctoral research for seven years at University College London and at the European Southern Observatory in Munich, Germany. In 2013, he decided to leave professional research to focus on teaching yoga and mindfulness. In this episode, Mark shares with us his insightful approaches to mindful stargazing.

Time stamps :

04:12 : What is mindful stargazing ?
13:12 : How to stargaze mindfully ?
17:22 : How can the dark night sky connect us all more deeply to our inner selves ?
25:20 : Could you please share with us snippets of scientific knowledge, modern astronomy has found in your favourite constellations in the night sky ?

Useful links and resources :

Time stamps :

04:12 : What is mindful stargazing ?
13:12 : How to stargaze mindfully ?
17:22 : How can the dark night sky connect us all more deeply to our inner selves ?
25:20 : Could you please share with us snippets of scientific knowledge, modern astronomy has found in your favourite constellations in the night sky ?

Useful links and resources :

Previous Episode

Variable Stars for Beginners

Dr. Stella Kafka was awarded the Hollis and Grete Johnson Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Research at Indiana University. She has also received the National Optical Astronomy Observatory Excellence Award for her work at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. In this episode, she shares with us a wealth of knowledge on variable stars and useful information on observing them.

Time stamps :

08:05 : What is a variable star ? What causes stars to change in brightness ?
14:10 : How do we discover and observe variable stars ?
18:35 : Are variable stars rare ?
19:09 : Why are variable stars important ? Why observe variable stars ? What do we learn from variable stars ?
22:19 : What are examples of variable stars ?
24:06 : Are exoplanets variable stars ?
26:08 : What type of equipment can I use to observe variable stars ?
28:44 : Which variable stars should I observe as a beginner ? How can I learn about variable star observing ?
30:55 : What if I don’t have equipment or I live in a light-polluted area ? Can I still contribute to science ?

Useful links and resources :

Next Episode

Astrotourism in Australia

In addition to being an outstanding dark sky defender, Marnie Ogg has thirty years of experience in the travel industry. In this episode, she shares with us precious information on dark sky tourism in Australia.

Time stamps :

02:02 : What brought you to dark sky advocacy ? and When did you get started ?
05:15 : Could you please present the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance to our audience and the work that it does ?
09:21 : One of the missions of the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance is to create business opportunities that support night sky preservation. Could you please elaborate on this aspect ?
14:18 : Which places of scientific interest would you recommend to someone planning his or her trip to Australia for astrotourism ?
19:56 : Are there any night sky experiences you would recommend to dark sky tourists visiting Australia ?
22:57 : Can one see the southern lights from Tasmania ?

Useful links and resources :

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