+ Mars | Star Gazing

Well, all set-up and ready to go star gazing. Planet Mars gazing to be exact.

That was what my son and I did yesterday, 21 August 2005 Sunday night at 8:30pm.

At first we went to an open field beside Pinevale Executive Condominium at the cross roads between Tampines Street 71 and Street 73.

The night sky was pretty bad for star gazing. It was very cloudy. The stars went in and out of sight blocked by the passing clouds. After a few minutes there, with high hope, my son had the best idea ever.

He suggested that we went up to Block 703A roof top of the 5-storey carpark. Brilliant idea!

More height and open space away from the passer's-by curious stares at what we were doing. Perfect!

Ashamed to admit, but I have lived in Tampines Courtview for almost 10 years, and yet yesterday was my first time up on the top floor of the carpark. Guess it was simply because I do not own a car.

Yet it gave me a new perspecive view of the whole neighbourhood from up there. I felt re-introduced to the surrounding area all over again.

At the far distance I could see the new factory FPLD, manufacturing LCD screens, and the almost-complete Civil Defence Building alongside Tampines Avenue 10, just across the open field we were before.

At the back were the block of flats 730 and 731. Just hope the neighbours did not get any misunderstood feelings the they were being watched instead.

Towards the right was Street 71 where Pinevale Executive Condo, block 737 to 742 forming Tampines Greenvale precint.

We set the telescope up on the roof and aimed at the first bright spot we saw in the night sky.

Not many could be seen though. Only 3 dots in the sky with the moon nowhere to be found.

We had no idea the bearing to which Mars would appear in the sky, though we knew that it should be a little later into the night.

Still it would be interesting to view a star throught the telescope.

While waiting for the sky to clear, my son started talking about another family he saw came up there a few months back having some kind of a rooftop-carpark picnic.

The family of 4 had two telescopes, sitting at the centre of the carpark on a mat with a picnic basket. He thought it was "cool" family time they had.

It sounded "cool" to me too. That family made the best out of their surrounding other people take for granted and never even thought about. Doing something together as a family is always worth it. An intangible bond.

After about half an hour on the rooftop, we decided to call it a night. It was almost my son's time for bed. He had to wake up bright and early for school tomorrow.

Did not turn out as we expected, but a nice time with him sharing the same interest up the rooftop. Well, hope it will be good condition tonight.