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Re: (meteorobs) Observing Before Midnight

Jonathan asked:

Just one question--you said that on 
>Fridays and Saturdays you could stay up as long as you wanted.  When 
>and where you grew up, was there such a thing as legal curfew?  My 
>parents now refuse to let me stay outside later than 1030pm local 
>time, and I have been banned from observing in the morning about a 
>month ago.  


Hello Jonathan,

To answer your question:  there was no legal curfew while I was growing up
in West Palm Beach, Florida during the '60's and '70's.  However, I think
this is rather a mute point anyway, because (at least for a few more short
years) your own curfew is the one your parents set for you.  If more
parents had taken responsibility for their own teenaged children in the
first place, such legal curfews would not have been necessary.

In my own case I requested, and received, a  special exception to my normal
curfew for the purpose of doing astronomical observations ONLY.  There were
two rules:

1.  On Friday and Saturday nights, I could stay outside by myself only if I
stayed within the confines of my own fenced-in, suburban back yard.  The LM
was only 5.5 or so, but I learned an aweful lot back there, while fighting
mosquitoes and soppy dew.

2.  If I was going observing with competent adults, I could also stay out
beyond normal hours.  As Mark suggested, I did this through a local
astronomy club.  This used to be the mary Marks Astronomy Club, which
became the Marks Astronomical Society, and is now the Astronomical Society
of the Palm Beaches.  Their observation site was several miles out in the
Everglades, and was wonderfully dark (and full of critters).

Thus, I grew up with two curfews -- my normal one for dates or going out
with friends, and a special one for astronomy.  I never abused the
privilege because I valued my observing time too much.

It is up to your own parents as to what allowances might be made for your
own efforts in astronomy.  I would think that ones own yard would meet the
requirements of legal curfew, but I don't know the wording of your local
law.  Again, I think the final say is up to your parents.

Take care,

     Jim


James Richardson
Graceville, Florida
richardson@digitalexp.com

Operations Manager / Radiometeor Project Coordinator
American Meteor Society (AMS)
http://www.serve.com/meteors/
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