It Ain’t That Cold!
A Dozen Winter Observing Highlights
Rod Brown
February 4, 2026
Think it is too cold to go outside and observe during the winter? Find it easier to watch TV and go to bed early rather than head outside? If so, you are missing out on prime night sky observing! Rod will explain why you should go out and observe during the winter months, discuss how to prepare so you are ready for wintertime conditions, and highlight many of the great things you will see.
Rod grew up ten miles north of Neil Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta, Ohio. He watched the moon landings as a small child and regularly visited the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum that was built to honor his hometown hero. However, he always took for granted the Milky Way that was in the sky each night. The interest in space and astronomy he had as a child mostly went dormant in adulthood while he attended college, served as a naval officer, and had a career first in high-tech manufacturing and then transportation planning.
A couple years ago, after his daughter was off to college and he had reduced his work hours on his way to retirement, that interest in the night skies began to reemerge. Now living in Nevada City, he bought a telescope to explore the darker skies that were remote when he lived in the Bay Area. He is now an enthusiastic observer of the faint fuzzies of the deep sky, and he goes out to observe whenever he can.
** Note **
For the “Summer Season” (July and August) the NC Astronomers will sometimes meet on-line via Zoom for special programs. Club members will receive the keys to the Zoom conference in their email via Groups.io.
NC Astronomers Meets on the 1st Wednesday each month at 7pm in the
Madelyn Helling Library Community Room
980 Helling Way
Nevada City, CA 95959
(September – May)
** NC Astronomers “YouTube” channel **
Many of the presentations are recorded and posted to the club’s YouTube channel.
Please see https://www.youtube.com/@ncastronomers9981/videos