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SETI
- Allen Telescope Array
- Optical SETI
- Interstellar Message Construction
- Project Phoenix 1995-2004
- Background Science
- History of SETI
- Center for SETI Research Team
- Other people doing SETI
- Hollywood's View of SETI
Habits and Traditions
by Peter Backus, Observing Programs Manager
Its easy to get into a habit. When you do things often enough, the mind switches to auto-pilot and you dont even have to think about what youre doing. Since I am on the night shift, its probably good that some things dont require much thought.
For me, the day begins when the alarm clock beeps at 1AM. Somehow, I find the Off switch in the dark and begin my routine. Shower, shave, clothes, snack, email. Then I stumble out into the night and look up at the stars. (Looking at the sky when you leave a building is a common habit for astronomers.) If its clear, I may linger a moment to gaze at Orion in the west and Leo overhead. But, I cant tarry, my shift starts at 3AM and theres other work to do. So, its down the stairs, all 140 of them, to the control room.
After exchanging pleasantries with Seth Shostak, I set up my laptop computer. I can do it with my eyes closed: uncoil the network cable and find an unused port, then plug in the power cord and transformer. Its going to be a long night and the battery will need power. Once the computer has its juice, its time to make my juice, coffee.
Jill Tarter established a tradition at the beginning of Project Phoenix in 1995. During our six month visit to the Parkes Observatory in Australia, we discovered some delightful Aussie traditions, but the coffee was weak by our standards. So Jill began ordering regular deliveries of Peets coffee, a tradition from the San Francisco area. Since that time, every observing run begins with a box from Peets.
While in Australia, I picked up the habit of eating bickies with my coffee. Bickies are biscuits, or cookies to us Yanks. I grew fond of Tim Tams, a chocolate-covered bickie. There are no Tim Tams in Arecibo, but there is a candy store in the control room with an ample supply of sweets. My tastes these days tend toward simpler, less sugary snacks. So my first cup of coffee is accompanied by a small bag of Animal Crackers, a rediscovered treat that brings back childhood memories. From Tim Tams to Animal Crackers, traditions must sometimes change.
When the coffee is ready, I start work by reviewing our observing progress and plans for shipping equipment after the run. As I finish the coffee, its time to take my place at the console. Sitting in front of the displays and writing in a log book for five hours is more tiring than you would think. Ive gotten into the habit of taking a walk outside whenever the telescope slews to a new star. This gives me a chance to stretch my legs and enjoy the tropical night. By this time of night, the tree frogs are silent and the early birds, like the Pearly-eyed Thrasher, are beginning to sing. Off in the distance, about 25 trillion miles beyond the telescope, Alpha Centauri shines above the southern horizon. Over the last few weeks Ive watched it slide slowly to the west, a little further each day as the Earth moves around the Sun. Sometimes its only the slow annual movement of the stars that tells me that time is passing.
Today I realized how much time has passed and that we only have one week of observing left. Project Phoenix will exhaust its allocation of telescope time on the morning of March 5. Our habit of twice-yearly trips to Puerto Rico will come to an end. Soon well move our equipment to the Allen Telescope Array where well develop new habits and traditions.