Jeana wrote:
I am a passionate amateur astronomer, and am realizing more and more
how difficult it is to be a female in this field. My first
realization of this came when I walked in to a telescope retailer and
they reacted to me like they had never had a female customer before.

CLIP
idiots are everywhere.

CLIP
I understand he worries, and I understand that it is
probably not a wise idea in this day and age for me to head off into a
dark remote location alone.

I suspect you are safer in a "dark remote location alone" than on your
neighborhood corner, after dark, if it's as urbanized as you say. But
it'd be hard to sale that idea.

Get a medium-large dog to accompany you (no miniture toy dags - some
breed the size of a coyote.) Dogs love to go sky watching with you, and
will stay nearby because you are their pack leader; they both add to
your safety and more important, to your perception of safety. Plus they
have other uses in guarding the house during the day when everybody's
gone to work.