Just before the New Year, I blogged about what I had learned about Astronomy.com visitors through the site’s weekly poll question posted on the home page. The magazine editors come up with each week’s poll question, and we choose the question because we’re curious to see the results.
Last week I received a letter asking about a few of the poll questions we’ve posted recently, so here are some results:
What do you use most to observe the night sky?
Almost 50 percent of voters use their naked eyes the most when observing. A medium-sized scope is the next equipment of choice, with 18 percent.
Which category is your favorite observing target?
The planets and moons of our solar system are favorite observing targets for 41 percent of voters. Galaxies came in second (24 percent of votes).
What do you think is a great sky-object to capture a first-timer's attention?
When asked what was a good target for a first-time observer, the majority of the voters (42 percent) chose Saturn. The Orion Nebula and the First Quarter Moon tied for the second option (17 percent each).
If you could spend a day with one of these great astronomers, whom would you choose?
Maybe IYA2009 is swaying the outcome, but given the opportunity to spend a day with a great astronomer, 41 percent of voters would choose hang out with Galileo Galilei. Edwin Hubble was the runner-up, with 27 percent.
What do you think is the greatest telescopic discovery in the past 50 years?
Almost 35 percent of voters thought the first exoplanet discovery in 1991 was the telescope’s greatest accomplishment of the past 50 years. Uncovering dark energy in 1998 came in second with 27 percent, and confirming the existence of black holes in 1997 finished a close third with 26 percent.
If you could go on one astronomy-related vacation, what would you want to experience?
It was a close race when voters tried to decide which astronomy-related vacation they would take. About 26 percent would opt for a trip to see a total solar eclipse, 25 percent would visit to a professional observatory, 23 percent would head north for the aurora borealis, and 21 percent would travel to a dark-sky observing location.