Astronomy

One of the things I like is astronomy (both amateur and professional). Professional pays much better, and you get to play with all sorts of really expensive equipment in the dark, but it can be a bummer to have to go out when it's cold. Chasing asteroids when it's 0F out and you're not the primary researcher sounds much more exciting than it really is. It also doesn't help when your observing companions eat all your snacks.

Amateur astronomy, while it doesn't pay very well (if at all), can be fun, since you only do it when you want to. Sometimes groups of amateur astronomers get together to observe and have meetings, swap meets, etc. These are called 'star parties', and can be lots of fun.

Current year: 2009  month: 11  day: 7
Julian day is: 2455143
Moon phase is 66 percent. 
Moon age is 19.70 days. 

Dakota Astronomical Society Star Parties:
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997 - I missed this one due to the flood.
• 1998
• 1999 was cancelled by the DAS.
• 2000

Other NSAS stuff:
• Moving Geography's old observatory dome

Sky Publishing 's home page has all kinds of good info for getting started in amateur astronomy, as well as info on the latest astronomical happenings.

UND's student astronomy club is the Northern Skies Astronomical Society. Membership is open to the public, and we host star parties all throughout the year.

How to build a Dobsonian telescope.
How to build a Dobsonian telescope (web archive of TIE site).
A related site is the Sidewalk Astronomers.
How to make red observing flashlights.
Small Telescope Science Program.

Here are some more links on astronomy.

Finally, here is a picture of Saturn that was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. I hope you enjoy viewing it 'in person', as well as on the net!