Tonight (check your local listings), PBS will run a documentary called "Seeing in the Dark", about amateur astronomers and their contribution to the science. It’s based on a book of the same name by Timothy Ferris, a writer and astronomer who used to live down the road from me a little ways before I moved to Boulder. 
I have not read the book (I can’t keep up!) but I have heard the book and the show are quite good. The PBS site has an extensive series of pages supporting the show, and any educators who read this blog should check iot out; I’m sure there is plenty there that will be useful in the classroom!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
It’s a great book, full of all kinds of insights. Ferris even makes reference to the blues music on radio he listened too growing up in Florida while observing the stars – but a book has room for things like that. A TV program will be focused on the astronomy.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
“…reference to the blues music on radio he listened too growing up in Florida while observing the stars.”
Actually, the film has that in it too.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I will confirm that the book is well worth reading. I was a bit skeptical at first since, unlike the other books of his I have read, it’s less about the theory of astronomy and more about the practical side.
However, Ferris is a very good writer and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
This shoud be a great show. Ferris does not have a degree in astronomy or physics but does have a dual degree: English and Communication. Nevertheless, his knowledge of astronomy and his writing skills should make this show very enjoyable.
He did an interview in a recent Slacker Astronomy show [http://www.slackerastronomy. org/shows/ 070915-sg. mp3].
September 19th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Well, we all know that PBS produces great astronomy series
September 19th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Hey Phil,
Re: getting on the Colbert Report:
Perhaps this is the person you should be focusing your efforts on (especially once you’ve finished the book):
http://bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/2007/09/stephen-colbert-doesnt-read-books-she.html
September 19th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
It was an enjoyable show, I’ll probably get the DVD. I was so glad when he tackled religious beliefs at the end of the show (when talking about Kepler’s defense of Galileo). I was also glad when the NFL guy (dang memory ain’t what it usta was) said something about evidence being required in science.
The only quibble (and it’s a small one) was the Hubble shot of Mars they used at the start of the show when they showed what the yound Ferris saw through his 60mm department store refractor. It might give people an incorrect idea of what they could see with them. I’ll chalk this one up to artistic lisence and fugeddaboudit!
I produce video programs on DVD also, so I recognize professional work when I see it. This show was altogether a class act.
Rich
September 19th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Yes!
PBS hit home runs two nights in a row for me. Tuesday night was ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ with Yo Yo Ma and Dvorák’s Cello Concerto, then tonight with ‘Seeing in the Dark’.
Made me envious though with the ability to make observations with a ‘scope over 2000 mies away! (grumble, grumble). All I had was an 8-inch F/5 Newtonian, but boy did I have fun with it. My main pursuit was galaxies and I saw some good ‘uns!
I’ll probably buy the DVD of tonights’ show when I can afford it!
September 20th, 2007 at 4:41 am
I really enjoyed the book when I first became interested in astronomy and I go back to it frequently.
Great title – almost as good as Turn Left at Orion.
Alas, PBS doesn’t reach the UK so we will miss this as we also missed the great Jazz history (Ken Burns?) they did a while back.
September 20th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Not to worry, Tony, somebody will surely put it on YouTube.
You might want to get the DVD, but be sure to specify your region, region #2, as one bought here in the USofA will surely be region #1. If you put a region 1 disk in your machine too many times it’ll lock your DVD player to region 1 and you won’t be able to play your local region DVDs.
Here’s a good site with a map of the region codes:
http://www.hometheaterinfo.com/dvd3.htm
The DVDs that I make are region #0, so they’ll play anywhere. Maybe the “Seeing In The Dark” DVDs will be region 0 so the’ll be universally useable.
Rich
September 20th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Enjoyed the show, but does anyone else wonder how typical it is for a teenage boy to round up a “few friends” for a night of astronomy and end up with and two cute girls tagging along (and just one other guy)?
September 20th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed the book so looked forward to the show. Watched it on PBS high def and, as usual, PBS’s production quality was outstanding. As far as the show was concerened, my only disappointment was that it was not two hours long.
I was really quite impressed with the four brothers who do the remote viewing installations. That’s the kind of “entrepreneurship” we need more of in the sciences.
For those who have not seen it, you should try to get hold of the six part series “The Astronomers” that PBS broadcast in 1992. In my opinion, this is still the benchmark for shows dealing with astronomy. I dream of an updated version of the series, in full HD.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:41 am
Oldamateurastronomer… Speaking of instrument envy… When I was in college, a friend was the conductor of a chamber orchestra. I used to help out moving harpsichords, taking tickets, etc. One concert, they asked me to run the lights, which involved manning a bank of ordinary light switches next to the stage door. I had to turn off the house lights and turn on all the stage lights at the beginning, and then at the end, turn back on the house lights, turn off most of the stage lights, and hold the door open while the musicians walked of stage (through a narrow passage.) Everything went fine until the guest soloist thrust his cello and bow into my hands, saying “Hold this”, while he went back on stage to take another bow. There I was trying to hold the door open with my elbow, hold on to the cello, and keep the other musicians from kicking it or tripping over it as they squeezed past, hoping he would hurry back and relieve me of the responsibility. It was only a couple of weeks later that I discovered the cello was a Guarnerius and worth a quarter million bucks (in 1973 dollars). Major Urgh!! moment. BTW, the soloist was Yo Yo Ma.
I did catch the Dvorak. Never realized playing cello was such hard work… usually Yo Yo makes it look effortless
