A couple of years ago I purchased the book "Seeing in the Dark" by Timothy Ferris for a few dollars on eBay. I love to read books that are written with a poetic view towards astronomical endeavors and this one did not disappoint. Ferris has written numerous astronomy books as a 'popular science writer', and his style and prose is obviously influenced by his own personal passion for amateur astronomy.
So it was with excitement that I learned a few months ago that Ferris had produced a television show for PBS to accompany the book. The long wait was finally rewarded this evening with the show and in general I enjoyed it very much. It didn't really teach me anything new about astronomy, and certainly was not filled with scientific facts; rather, it affirmed my own enthusiasm for the hobby by presenting a fairly wide-ranging overview of various themes in astronomy, interspersed with Ferris' own poetic narrations.
I've been unable to get out for some time now, mostly due to weather but other obligations have kept me inside even on the few clear nights. Monsoon season's coming to an end - in fact it is quite clear tonight. I suppose it was worth staying in to watch "Seeing in the Dark" instead of sitting at the eyepiece, whereas normally I would not dream of putting television on equal par with the eyepiece. But now that Ferris has topped off my tank with fuel for some all-night sessions, I cannot wait to get back out. This weekend we're planning a couple of nights of star parties and I'm praying for the skies to be clear.
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