Astronomy & AA - the Connection

A link between astronomy and AA can be made by thinking about one of the underlying philosophies of AA, that of humility. We cannot think ourselves too great or we tend to loose sight of the journey ahead of us. If we think we are too important, if we are overly egocentric and discount those around us, we risk failure in our hopes for sobriety. There are a number of ways we can become more aware of our link to the world and of our place in the grand scheme of things.

If you really want to get a sense of the small part you play in the ongoing march of mankind, sometimes it is wise to see just how small that part may be. I can think of few ways better to get a sense of your smallness in this universe than by going out at night and taking a look at the sky. If you see the stars and planets as they parade overhead, you may get some perspective on yourself.

With that in mind I offer a few suggestions for sites on the Web to start your investigation of the wonders of the sky.

For a starting place, I suggest Sky & Telescope On-line. I have been reading this magazine for some years, and continue to feel a sense of awe when reading about the latest discoveries in the sky.

Sky & Telescope also features an Astronomy Web Link Site, "SkyLinks" that is extensive, and I have found many wonderful places by following their links. One that is particularly fascinating is the Hubble Space Telescope pages. The images are dazzling and their descriptions of these images is complete and compelling.

I have put together a much larger astronomy link page at SkyList, my page devoted entirely to astronomy.

Online Telescopes

A fairly recent tool for all armchair astronomers is the advent of online telescopes providing access to views of the universe from the comfort of your home. I have not had a chance to try these to any great extent, but the prospect seems tantalizing.

Stardial. A CCD camera at the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois.

The Bradford Robotic Telescope in Yorkshire, England.

The Remotely Operated Telescope at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Check out my Sky Alert! for possible upcoming events.

This is by no means a complete list of sites available, just a starting point to get you thinking. That is something we all need to do more of.


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