It is the end of another year, and if you have been a regular reader here I can assume that you have a least a passing interest in this fascinating discipline of astronomy. But have you done anything this year which took you beyond an occasional read? Have you put your faith into practice, so to speak? Resolve this year to do something!

Here are some suggestions I have been making for New Year's resolutions over the years now, but which are just as valid today.

Reading is a good place to start something new. There are a host of great books out there, most of which feature a trove of beautiful pictures. Check out amazon.com and search for astronomy books, or inquire at your local bookstore. Pick a book, buy it, and read it this year.

Can you afford to read only a few minutes a day? Then check out daily online sites like Astronomy Picture of the Day which not only has the obvious daily "picture," but also a whole mini-lesson of what the picture is all about. It's a great way for a person to learn a little bit at a time, and keep up-to-date. One way or another, can you commit to reading something astronomical this year?

How about observing? Maybe this year you can devote yourself to seeing that meteor shower you have been avoiding all your life. There are a half dozen good showers a year. Make one of them your own! Google "meteor shower calendar 2010" to see when they occur.

Another observing option would be to commit to memory a season's constellations. Winter has a beautiful set of stars, like Orion and Taurus, but so do all the other seasons, especially summer when it may be a little more comfortable to go out anyway.

You could also keep an eye on all the planets this year, to get to know how they wander the skies throughout the year. Another challenge would be to observe the Moon through an entire month, watching how it goes through an entire set of phases.

Observing would also, of course, include buying or borrowing a telescope. Get to know the basics of that great astronomical tool and then fall in love with the skies layers deeper than what you can see naked-eye.

In the mood for a day trip? You and your family or friends might consider this year a trip to Palomar Mountain for a visit to one of the world's premiere telescopes. Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is a great place for astronomy lovers to visit, even if it has lost its night skies to the city of blinding lights.

Resolve this year to take more than just a passing interest in this grand pillar of the sciences. It will be so worth the effort. Have a great new year!