"John Steinberg" wrote in message I've never seen
any serious data to support the argument that
astronomers are more at risk than anyone else in the general public.
Certainly more people are injured or die on ski slopes every year, and
that hasn't stopped folks from enjoying that pursuit. The /problem/ with
amateur astronomy is that it's mostly practiced at night, and darkness
is and always has been a place where the human animal feels most
vulnerable. That doesn't ipso facto mean they are, just that our
nighttime visual acuity wasn't optimized for most nocturnal activities.

We are hardwired to function best during daylight hours, although many
of us, myself included, do so love the night.


I think the main danger is being alone in a remote location. A very small
injury can be life threatening if it incapacitates. Several years ago, a
friend suffered this fate, resulting in permanent brain damage and severe
frostbite. Don't go alone.
dm