This picture was taken by placing our digital camera on a picnic table and letting the camera do the work. RELATED STORIES Essential Advice Stargazing in Style

Although Dudley loves to run around at night, he wasn't too thrilled with our choice to stargaze instead of sleep.

Dudley's idea of stargazing is watching himself on television. When we headed out to the telescopes to gaze in wonder at the night sky, Dudley curled up and pouted because he was out in the cold instead of in his nice, warm bed.

Domesticated dogs have departed from their wild ancestors, especially in the way they view the night. Wolves and coyotes roam the night (sometimes all night) searching for prey. Dudley's favorite nighttime activity is also his favorite daytime activity — sleeping.

There is one exception to this rule. We've found in our travels that if dogs must generally be leashed in a given area, night is the one time when no one minds too much if we break the rules. To Dudley, darkness is only good for the occasional stealthy game of "catch" when no one is awake to observe.