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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UCC victims included teacher, teens and adults seeking new starts ... Donors sought as field project deadline looms ... UPDATED: Names of UCC shooting victims released ... UCC victims included teacher, teens and adults seeking new starts ... Donors sought as field project deadline looms ... UPDATED: Names of UCC shooting victims released ... Looking Up: Warm window to the stars Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News By Peter Becker More Content Now My, it is cold out there. If you live in the cold Northeast like this writer, you’re well aware how cold it can get in January and February. Mercury dipping down in this case isn’t referring to the planet setting in the west. Temperatures at night in many cases in this region went well below zero, likely leaving few people indeed to look up at the glowing stars. The clearest of nights seem to fall when your breath is not only visible you wonder if it will freeze in mid-air. While we can bundle up the best we can, who can blame you if you take to the comfort of your home and see the glorious stars through the window pane? If you fortunate to have a relatively new, good quality window, you may even able to use binoculars and still see sharp stars. Poorer quality windows are likely to distort the images. Naturally, the window should be clean! This way if you have a fairly open view of the sky through a window, you may be able to switch off the lights and lie back in warmth, and see the winter constellations while bitter breezes blow outside. If you do brave the cold to enjoy the stars, there a few tips to keep in mind. At the risk of sounding like your mom, be sure to dress extra warm. You may be surprised at how cold it can feel if you are not prepared. It is best to dress in layers, wear a winter hat or hood as well as gloves. Your comfort will aid you in enjoying the stars. If you use a reflecting telescope with an open-ended tube, the mirror inside needs to adjust to the cold air to allow you the best images in the eyepiece. Warm air currents exiting the tube will distort the view, especially at medium to high magnification. It may take an hour or more to let the air in the telescope to match the air outside. Letting your eyes fully adjust to the darkness takes several minutes. If you can wait inside a warm, darkened room while your eyes adjust, you will be ready to see the stars right away. Or you can just enjoy the view from a closed window. Though the window restricts your view, imagine yourself inside a traditional observatory dome with its narrow slit revealing the sky. The dome blocks most of the wind from the telescope and observer. Unlike the observatory dome, which can be rotated around, your window’s narrow view is fixed- or we should hope so unless you have an unusual house. A south facing window, however, is ideal. From this vantage point, if you are patient enough, you will eventually see almost the entire sky visible from your latitude on the globe. As the stars shift east to west through the night, and the year progresses, you will see the whole parade of constellations pass by your window pane. Last-quarter moon is on Jan. 10. Keep looking up! MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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