The Park, Wednesday Night

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

Ellie set up her telescope in a clearing in the center of the park, away from the lights of the streets. While she had access to more powerful scopes, she still found it relaxing to use this smaller telescope to watch the night sky. She paid her respects to Vega, then aimed her viewer toward the fragments of the Schwassmann-Wachmann comet.


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[sensethevisions]

On her way back from Caritas, Phoebe decided to walk through the park to gather her thoughts. While walking, she came upon a woman that she thought she may have seen at the chaos that been the Meet and Greet.

"His," she said quietly, not wanting to disturb her.

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Hi," Ellie said as she finished adjusting her telescope. She stood up and looked over at Phoebe. "Are you a student at the school?"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded. "Just finished my Junior year." She smiled. "Are you one of the new teachers?"

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Ellie Arroway," she said. "I'll be teaching astronomy at the summer cap and likely next fall as well."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiled. "Phoebe Halliwell. I wanted to take your summer course, but I needed the karate. I hope I get the chance to take your class in the fall."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"I hope so, too," Ellie said, smiling. "The summer course is mainly observation and some theory, but the fall course will be more scientific. And students are always welcome to join me on any night I'm out with my telescope or binoculars."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looked interested. "Really? The nights here are some of my favorite times."

Well, when she wasn't out alone, that is.

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Fortunately the lights of Fandom are low enough that you can get a really good view of the stars," Ellie said. "Not as good as New Mexico, but better than the big city."

[sensethevisions]

"There are a few places in the woods and down on the beach that have great views of the stars," Phoebe said helpfully. "There aren't many place sin San Francisco that you can see the stars without the lights."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"I'll be having classes out in the wooded area," Ellie said. "I just didn't want to go out there by myself yet since I don't know the area."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiled. "Well, you ever want to go for walks, let me know. I love the woods."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"How safe is it?" Ellie asked.

[sensethevisions]

"The woods? The woods are pretty safe. I've never run into any problems there. It's very peaceful."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Good to know," Ellie said. "I spend a lot of time observing alone. Observational isn't my speciality, radio is, but even then I'd go out alone and listen."

[sensethevisions]

"Oh, you're a DJ?"

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"No, radio astronomy," Ellie said, her tone light and not mocking. "Instead of looking at the light, I listen to the stars."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looked really interested now.

"You can listen to the stars?"

She wondered if she was a witch, too.

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Stars emit radio waves just like light waves," Ellie said. "I also like to listen for signals from other planets."

[sensethevisions]

Okay, Ellie now had Phoebe's complete and undivided attention.

"I know very little about astronomy except for how much I like looking at the starts and the sky at night. I didn't know stars emitted waves or planets sent out signals."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Radio waves are just another type of radiation, like light. And, well, the type of signals from other planets that I'm looking for are ones from intelligent life," Ellie said. "Messages from other races, proof that there's life out there."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe wondered if she should tell Ellie that there was proof of other planets having life as some of them went to school at FH.

"How can you tell the difference between the waves of different stars?"

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"We measure the wavelength," Ellie said. "Human eyes can only see a certain size of wavelength, and that's visible light. Radio waves are longer and can't be seen. But we have equipment that can measure their length and frequency and use them to study a star."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe had always thought that stars gave off the same kind of light no matter which one it was.

"Like telescopes?"

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"Radio telescopes, yes," Ellie said, nodding. "They look like giant satellite dishes. One like this" -- she patted the telescope next to her -- "is just for visual astronomy."

[sensethevisions]

"Will you be using both kinds in your class in the fall?"

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"I think I'm going to start out with the basics first," Ellie said. "The planets and the moons. But in the spring I'll do stars and stellar systems, which will go over radio astronomy."

[sensethevisions]

"I will have to see if I can enroll in your class then," Phoebe said seriously. "It sounds really interesting."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad you think so," Ellie said, smiling. "I'm hoping there's a lot of interest."

[sensethevisions]

"I'm sure there will be. There are a lot of people here who come from other times and planets who like talking about space and the planets."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"I'm told there are people from other worlds here, too," Ellie said. "I can't wait to meet them."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe let out a breath in relief. "Oh good, you don't seem to be disbelieving about that or weirded out but it." She smiled. "We have a few students and teachers from other worlds. This place is great. One of my favorite things about this place is even if we all don't get along with each other 100 percent of the time... when it matters we all pull together."

[stargazer-ellie.livejournal.com]

"It's not a common belief where I'm from," Ellie said, "but I believe. And the people who sent me here, they told me I would find others not from Earth at the school."

[sensethevisions]

"The people who sent you here seem pretty cool, then," Phoebe said with a smile. "We're multi-species as well as multi-cultural."