The Astronomy Club has returned to campus! The club’s goal is to bring together people with a love of the stars and to be able to do fun activities related to astronomy. Vice President Michael Lowry explains, “The main purpose of the club is to just get out and do astronomy.”
The club provides telescopes courtesy of the art department, and people are also welcome to bring their own. This is weather-dependent because if the sky is not clear, there is nothing for them to see. “It’s about getting out whenever the night is clear,” Lowry added.
The club aims to have one to two observational nights a month, where they can get outside and look at the stars, planets, the moon, or whatever else the universe has in store for that night.
An unappreciated part of the club is getting to learn how to use astronomical equipment, such as a telescope. Learning how to set all the equipment up is a complicated process, which can take up to 20 minutes.
Club President Josh Gould stresses that to be a part of the astronomy club only requires an interest in the interstellar bodies.
Lowry explained how they can enhance their view with the telescopes. “Using 100 times magnification, you [can] see the bands and moons around Jupiter… [or] see surface features on Mars.”
The Astronomy Club has not been official for a couple of years, and so they’re working to expand the club’s membership. Gould and Lowry are pleased with the attendance at the meetings right now, and they hope to continue to grow the club as the year progresses.
They plan to table at the David Student Union and make appearances at other events to let people know that the club is back and operational.
Nonetheless one of the most important parts of the club is enjoying astronomy. For Gould, his favorite part of the club is getting to see all the planets up close and through the telescope lens.
“It’s the most awe-inspiring experience to me,” he said.
Lowry added, “People looking through a telescope for the first time are blown away by what they see, because they’ve only ever seen pictures online of Jupiter…[in our club] you see that it’s really up there, which you may take for granted.”
The club’s first observation was Tuesday, Oct. 3rd and they have weekly meetings at 6pm every Tuesday. To contact them, email [email protected].
