How to Watch Astronauts from Your Backyard

<p>When I saw amateur astronomer <a href=”http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/a-spacewalk-as-seen-from-earth/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+(Wired%3A+Index+3+(Top+Stories+2))” target=”_blank”>Ralf Vandebergh’s photos of astronaut Joe Acaba on a spacewalk</a>, I did the only natural thing: I cursed. I’m guessing that’s what Ralf did too. It was a welcome reminder of a great piece we reprinted in the magazine a few issues back about <a href=”https://www.utne.com/science-and-technology/obscene-astronomy-and-street-smart-stargazing.aspx”>sidewalk astronomy</a>. The piece was penned by a sidewalk astronomer for the <a href=”http://www.geneva13.com/home.html” target=”_blank”>zine</a>
<strong>Geneva13</strong>. It was all about cursing the heavens:</p>
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<em>One evening I was showing some college students the planet Saturn through the telescope. Suprita, a sophisticated and polite student from India, took one look, breathed in audibly, and came down the stepladder. “Can I curse?” she asked. I shrugged. Suprita stepped back up to the eyepiece and let out a string of obscenities in a discordantly lovely accent.</em>
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<p>Ready for some cussing? Here’s what Ralf saw:</p>
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<strong>Source: <a href=”http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/a-spacewalk-as-seen-from-earth/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+(Wired%3A+Index+3+(Top+Stories+2))” target=”_blank”>Wired</a>, <a href=”http://www.geneva13.com/home.html” target=”_blank”>Geneva13</a>
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