Celestial viewing has been practiced since the dawn of the age, with kingdoms rising and falling as the stars move across the heavens. Look! A comet! The joy of witnessing a shooting star is priceless with meteor showers offering the best opportunity for an active celestial sky show.
Attic Stellar Room
Some people have taken to viewing the stars in their backyards or will make a trip to a nearby park to set up a telescope with full view of the sky. Not every backyard or park is suitable for viewing and, with bugs biting, can make this option undesirable, especially for small children. Fortunately, you can enjoy a celestial sky show without setting foot outdoors, by converting one room in your home to a stellar room, with the attic offering a natural and practical place for your simple home improvement project. Read on and we’ll examine what it takes to put in place an attic stellar room.
You can make your attic stellar room as simple or as complex as you want. The basics here is having stairs that offer solid footing for easy access and floorboards in place that can hold everyone’s weight. Clearly, an unfinished attic can be used, but you’ll need to examine the room for safety and make sure that nails from the roof are not protruding through the ceiling.
Celestial Vantage Point
A large window or skylight is ideal for star-gazing, particularly if it gives you an expansive view of the sky with the North Star in view. Light pollution can be a big problem, therefore avoid any view that obscures the sky. Don’t expect your municipality to comply with your demands to quench a street light, however!
Before you run out and invest in a telescope, use a pair of binoculars to locate the stars. This is an important step as it will help you gauge the amount of light that seeps in and the range of sky within your vantage point. If the amount of sky you see is sufficient and you’re satisfied with the view, then you’re good to go. If not, you may need to talk with a contractor about having a skylight installed in the section of your roof that points away from the obstruction. If things work out your way, you’ll only pay for the cost of a skylight instead of a new roof.
Construction Costs
Skylight costs can vary and include reframing, cutting into rafters and ceiling joists, and installing new drywall where drywall is already present may be required. The size of the skylight, the use of glass or acrylic, and adding new insulation are other factors. A room with few windows, such as an attic, can have a larger skylight, but the U.S. Department of Energy advises that it occupy a size no larger than 15 percent of the total floor space. Prices will start around $2,500 and rise according to your needs.
With the skylight installed, now you’re ready to shop for a telescope. We’re not going to advise you on that, something your capable science store retailer can advise you on. You better hurry up though as the Delta Aquarids show up in late July followed by the Perseids in August, two of the more amazing meteor showers seen each calendar year.
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