In the Bible God told Abraham that he would have as many offspring as the stars. Now, it would be very hard for Abraham to find out how many children he would have. NASA, however, has a new star count project in the works. This program is going to be made worldwide soon. Its goal is to see how many stars an observer can view in a certain locale at night.
Counting the stars one by one would be extremely difficult for even the greatest of counters in the world. That is why NASA has come up with a new way to count the stars. All you need is any simple old toilet paper tube (used) and you are ready to start.
Keep in mind that different areas have different environments, but once again NASA has found a way around this. They provide charts and maps for you to determine local air quality, cloud coverage, etc.
Follow the instructions you’ll find on the Web site listed near the end of this article for the specifics. Basically, what you will do is count the number of the stars you see through the cardboard tube and do some arithmetic. Your calculations will factor in all of the environmental aspects.
The results for different cities are posted on the NASA Website. If you wish to record your own listings, simply find the star count section and post them. Just remember that figuring out all of the arithmetic might get tricky, so be prepared to think.
Many cities aren’t listed on the Web site. In fact, many countries aren’t included. But soon this will become a global mission. Most of the non-participating locations are third world countries that are soon to follow.
This project might appear to be merely a mental excercise, but its purpose has practical value. The starcount will provide astronomers with information on these bright and shining orbs a lot easier than the virtually impossible task of sending an astronomer to every city. It also provides helpful information on the atmospheric conditions in an area.
There’s not one single posting yet for Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, but observers in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, and North Carolina have recorded numerous starcounts.
To find out more about and to participate in this program go to the Starcount Web page.
All of the information you need is right here in front of you, and the stars aren’t going anywhere. What are you waiting for? Raise your paper tube proudly, hold it to your eye, and number the stars.