In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite. Because at that time space technology was in its infancy, it was hard to get an exact fix on the satellite's orbit. So amateur stargazers from around the globe manned their telescopes to observe its path.

That event not only set the foundation for the future exploration of space, it also revealed that a vast number of amateur astronomers could be found everywhere. This is something the seventeenth-century genius Galileo could not have expected when he invented the telescope!

Curiosity about nature is, well, natural in man. But why are there so many amateur astronomers, and not seismologists or meteorologists?

The leading ROC astronomer of recent years, the noted Kao Ping-tze, responds: "To gaze at brilliant light which originated hundreds of thousands of years before from a distant star, and to think that it has crossed half the universe, is it possible not to sing the praises of the vastness of the universe? Is not the mind's eye widened in wonder?"

All you need is a small five or six millimeter telescope and a map of the heavens to get the ordinary planets of our solar system to reveal their mysterious, subtle visages. The moon becomes crater, mountain ranges, and valleys sweeping under a cold ray of light. Venus appears similar to the moon, ceaselessly rotating. Jupiter has four small companions (satellites) at its side. Saturn is graced with a halo. . . .

And the galaxy arranges special programs as well. Mars, ordinarily obscure, comes near the earth for two months every two years to give the attentive a glimpse of its red color. And when the sun, earth, and moon line up: "the shadow of the earth is like an enveloping mist, the moon like a hesitant new bride, slowly engulfed, and then again gradually revealing her face." It's a show well worth the ticket price.

The vast heavens, with bodies of ages calculated in trillions, cannot but make man think of his own limited life. "Can my life be extended?" If one discovers and names a star, then one can leave one's name behind for eternity. By international convention, the discoverers of new stars can christen them, and usually do so with their own names. Thus, for example, "Halley's Comet."

In the search for stars, amateurs are not just bystanders. Covering the universe 24 hours a day, they discover stars at a rate comparable to professionals.

Comets are usually too dim to be seen, but there are other prey: supernovas and variable stars, for example. Tsai Chang-hsien, director of the Taipei Observatory, discovered a variable star in 1952. He watched it and kept records for several months. Following confirmation by the American Association of Variable Star Observers, he named it Variable Star 065208C of Monoceros.

As a child, Tsai sat in his yard surveying the heavens and pondered over astronomical tidbits in the children's science paper. In his first year in junior high, he got a small 3 mm telescope. Even while in World War Two, he didn't forget to keep his telescope and astronomical map at his side.

"To find a variable star, you have to be able to discern a difference of 0.05 magnitude, and must keep continuous detailed records of the observation," says Tsai. For something like a meteor, you've got only a fraction of a second to judge its position, intensity, speed, color, time. . . . This requires deep knowledge and experience, but doesn't it make star watching all the more stimulating?

From Taiwan, at a low latitude in the northern hemisphere, one can see 95% of what can be seen from the earth, says Chen Chun-jung, chairman of the Chiayi Astronomical Society. Feng Peng-nien of Of Man & Heaven magazine notes that, due to economic prosperity making telescopes accessible, the number of amateur astronomers has grown.

"Now people are really lucky," says Daniel J.P. Chen, who recalls his first "telescope" as an old magnifying glass in a paper box. Now most families can afford the several hundred dollars to buy a telescope. The problem is, few know how to use or maintain them. Chen has opened the free Private Wen-shan Astronomical Observatory in hopes of getting the whole family to learn about astronomy.

In the astronomy classroom at the Attached Experimental Elementary School of Taiwan Provincial Taipei Teacher's College, amazed students, sunlight shining in their faces, hear classmate Huang Lung-yi explain how to operate the telescope. "The sooner they develop a proper view of the universe, the better," says teacher Yu Jui-chu. From astronomy they learn not only the importance of observation and accurate records, but their imaginations are fired as well.

Alas, the bright lights and smoggy skies of heavily urbanized Taiwan have made stargazing tough in the city. Many like P.K. Chen, photographer of the (heavenly) stars, take to the mountains and suburbs. Even if the weather is not kind, there is still fresh air and a chance to leave one's troubles behind.

Astronomy has long been a leisure activity in the West and Japan. But, says Li Tai-feng of the Academia Sinica, it is also a way for the soul of the stressed modern to find its own "space," and maybe to give someone a better perspective on the daily affairs of the world. The best thing about it all is that there's no need to be hasty or tense; the stars have been there for billions and billions of years, and they'll wait for you.

[Picture Caption]

Because the earth revolves, if one points one's lens at the south or the north pole, then you can take this picture of the stars "taking a lap around the poles." (photo by P. K. Chen)

The Director of the Private Wenshan Astronomical Observatory, Daniel J. P. Chen, calls his telescope "A Childhood Dream."

To do astronomical photography requires substantial astronomical knowled ge. In recent years, due to the encouragement of P. K. Chen, there has been a tide of enthusiasm.

The vastness of space is the best place for mankind to leave behind its daily worries and elevate the soul. The photo is of the star M45. (photo by P. K. Chen)

The Director of the Private Wenshan Astronomical Observatory, Daniel J. P. Chen, calls his telescope "A Childhood Dream.".

To do astronomical photography requires substantial astronomical knowled ge. In recent years, due to the encouragement of P. K. Chen, there has been a tide of enthusiasm.

The vastness of space is the best place for mankind to leave behind its daily worries and elevate the soul. The photo is of the star M45. （photo by P. K. Chen）