You know you're an astronomer when...
1. You see a bright star and know that it's actually Mars.
2. You know the names of specific craters on the Moon.
3. You know the significance of the phrase "Oh Be A Fine Guy/Girl, Kiss Me" or as we knew it in my high school astronomy class... "Oh Boy, A Fat Girl Kicked Me".
4. You know the difference between an asteroid and a comet.
5. You have a personal vendetta against the weatherman.
6. You know that Olympus Mons is the tallest peak in the solar system and which planet it's on (not Earth!).
7. You've spent the night with your significant other... watching a meteor shower.
8. You've changed the lyrics of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to make them factually correct.
9. You know the phrase "a mere billion years" is not an oxymoron.
10. Someone mentions Jodie Foster and you think of Eleanor Arroway.
11. You've been in a debate over whether Pluto is a planet.
12. You know that Pluto really isn't a planet and shouldn't have been considered one to start (as sad as it may be).
13. You can give the mass of the sun, the average distance between the Earth and the sun, and the value of the gravitational constant off the top of your head.
14. You know the exact value of the speed of light.
15. You've decorated your room with a reproduction of your favorite portion of the night sky.
16. You've used Polaris to find the Big Dipper.
17. You know what NASA stands for.
18. A friend of yours thought you were studying Astrology.
19. You can pronounce Betelgeuse, Uranus, Charon, and Cassiopeia at least two different ways each.
20. You know the actual pronunciation of Uranus is "your a nus", not "your anus".
21. Someone casually wonders aloud how many planets out there might be able to support life you immediately think of the Drake equation.
22. You think the purpose of life is to study the sky.
23. You've ever wondered how much you'd be fined if you blew out all of the streetlights on your street so you could see the stars better.
24. You ask for a telescope for Christmas/Hannukah/Birthday/any other gift giving holiday.
25. You pronounce "Maria" with the emphasis on the first syllable.
26. While observing in the middle of the night in an open area, policemen come up to you and want to know what you're doing.
27. You race to the bookstore when the new issue of Astronomy Magazine or Sky and Telescope comes out.
28. You have Astronomy podcasts on your ipod.
29. You know every line to Apollo 13, and have possibly read the book.
30. Your heroes include Galileo, Isaac Newton, Albert Eistein, Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe, Carl Sagan, and many others.
31. You're incredibly proud of your 2nd place medal in the Science Olympiad Astronomy competition!
32. When you see a list of the zodiac and you get annoyed if they're not in the right order of procession.
33. If it's clear out and the seeing is good, observing takes priority over sleeping, eating, and tomorrow's midterm!
34. You pack more observing equipment than clothes for a two week vacation.
35. You'll stand outside for hours in the 18* weather to watch the lunar eclipse.
More to come! Post your own ideas too!
And if you have any Astronomy questions, post them on the wall and they'll be answered asap!
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