Those of us observing the higher northern latitudes don’t have the opportunity to peer easily into Scorpio or Sagittarius like our friends down south. From my garden, I catch the upper portions of these beautiful constellations, but I miss the days of seeing them framed higher above the horizon in all their glory.
A few weeks back, I made my way to the Florida Keys for some R&R. After a day of snorkeling, our family was watching T.V. when I decided to take a walk outside on the off-chance that the darker island skies of Islamorada may give up their secrets.
My wife and I walked down to the beach, and there, to my surprise, the sky filled with stars, even with the bright lights of the nearby resorts breaking past the palm trees. Scorpio and Sagittarius took their rightful and prominent place high over the waters with the faint wisp of the Milky Way falling in their midst.
“If only I had the scope with me…the nebulas and clusters I could be viewing and sketching,” I lamented.
Then, as I’m sure with most lovers of the night sky, I quickly came to realize this night was a gift. No need for visual aids here. Here in front of me was the ancient and natural way to observe the universe. I sat there on the sand taking the Milky Way in, wondering what it must be like to be a backyard observer at 24 degrees north.
A few minutes passed, and I thought to myself, “Why not pop out the iPhone? I’ve read articles on people doing this!”
I messed around with the setting for a few minutes, held my breath to steady the camera, and shot away. To my surprise, the Milky Way greeted me with every exposure.
Then, a few other things came into view with longer exposures. I zoomed in on a few, and there, sprinkled within the dusty mix of stars, popped out various deep-sky objects: Ptolemy’s Cluster (too low at my house), the Lagoon Nebula (only see this through trees up north!), and the Sagittarius Star Cloud!
The August skies from my Seattle backyard are still clear and sunny, but a northerly cool wind reminds me that autumn is near. If I go out tonight, Scorpio will be out of sight, laid to rest under the southern trees, waiting for next summer to rise again.
Wherever you may roam, keep looking up.
The Garden Astronomer 
2 thoughts on “Wherever You May Roam: Milky Way in the Florida Keys”