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Told my astronomy club to ditch the star charts and just look up, they thought I was nuts until 9 of us saw the ISS
Everyone in my local club swears you need a chart, an app, a red flashlight, and a plan before you go outside. I did that for two seasons and honestly it made me watch my phone more than the sky. So back in April I tried something different: I left everything inside except a lawn chair and a thermos of coffee. I sat in my yard in Dayton for about forty minutes doing nothing but looking up with my bare eyes. I spotted the ISS pass on my own because I knew roughly where west was, and it was way more exciting than hunting faint blobs with a chart. Three people from the club tried it the next clear night, and two of them texted me saying they saw more meteors in one sitting than they had all spring. Charts are great for finding specific stuff, but they can turn a relaxing night into homework. Has anyone else dropped the gear and just stared, or am I the only one who thinks the apps are killing the fun?
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