User:Bethkatz17582

From Slackerpedia Galactica

Beth was introduced to the stars by her Dad, a Navy pilot, who taught her the navigational stars and constellations. With odd names like Betelgeuse and Cassiopeia and the awesome glitter of the dark night sky, what's not to fascinate a curious child? The emphasis on the space program in the 1960s helped as did Star Trek, Star Wars, and piles of science fiction. Although math and science were intriguing, computer science and software engineering came along just in time to "do what you love". So her degrees are in Computer Science, and she teaches that at the university level. She shares her interest in the stars, planets, comets, and aurora with her husband, kids, and scout troops.

Beth's a slacker because she doesn't want to waste time setting up a telescope. Her favorite observing equipment is a pair of 20 x 80 astronomical binoculars or her naked eyes (adjusted by multifocal contacts). But she gives in and uses a tripod when photographing aurora and planets. She has a few pictures up at the Image Gallery at Solar Terrestrial Dispatch including this image of the aurora.

Her family, scouting, geocaching, and needlework (cross stitch, hardanger, ...) also consume her time. But astronomy and needlework have vastly different light requirements and are essentially incompatible hobbies.

To learn more, visit Beth's Home Page