 |
|
|
|
| 9/2/2008 2:22:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
|
| Southwestern University’s Fountainwood Observatory |
 |
 |
| Dr. Mark Bottorff, director of Southwestern University’s Fountainwood Observatory. |
|
ABOVE AND BEYOND
University observatory opens Friday for fall public viewing season
MARCIAL GUAJARDO
Managing Editor
Mark Bottorff, assistant professor of Physics at Southwestern University, each year leads groups to the on-campus observatory for viewings of the stars and sky. The premise seems simple enough: look in telescope, see stars, go home.
But as Bottorff notes, it can mean so much more than that.
You can view the stars and planets, often times in greater detail than in books, computers and on television.
But poke an eye though the lens of the Fountainwood Observatory and revelation may hit you like an asteroid: What you are seeing is beyond our reach, majestic and stretching unfathomable distances. It was created long before we arrived on Earth and will be around well after we are gone. And, although it may still seem tiny through the lens, the vastness of a planet's or star's size can leave an impression akin to that which the Grand Canyon - a mere hole to some - leaves many who visit it.
"It always thrills me when someone's world view changes," said Bottorff, director of the Fountainwood Observatory. "Looking at a picture of something in the sky, people are impressed. But when photons of light actually pass through the telescope and go into their eye, it can be a life-altering event for them."
Bottorff will be leading a group to the two telescopes of the observatory Friday, possibly for a few life-altering experiences, as Southwestern begins its fall public viewing season at Fountainwood. The public is invited to visit the observatory from 8-11 p.m. Friday for free viewings through at least one of the university's 16-inch telescopes.
A crescent moon is expected to be hanging in the southwestern sky that night. Jupiter, an astronomy favorite which left an indelible mark on Bottorff when he was a child, is expected to be visible in the southern sky.
Bottorff was in the early stages of teenhood when he saw "a bright light in the sky one night." Scrambling to find a backyard telescope his parents had bought for him but which he had rarely used, Bottorff focused back and forth on the object and had the type of experience he has seen Jupiter and Saturn cause people to enjoy.
"I've had people cry or inhale," Bottorff said, referring to viewing Saturn, as tears welled up in his own eyes. "It happens time and time again. You can see the detail."
"I, too, had the 'Oh my God, what is this' experience [as a child]," Bottorff said.
He dug up a Time Life book on the universe at the school library the next day.
"I read it cover to cover," he said. "I was hooked."
About 1,000 people visit the Fountainwood Observatory each year, Bottorff noted, and around 80-120 show up for a public viewing on a typical, clear night. About 7,000 people have visited the observatory since it opened in 1987.
Some might expect observatories to be located far into the Texas countryside, especially considering the vastness of the Texas countryside. But there are others in Central Texas, including one at the University of Texas in downtown Austin and another in Williamson County.
Light pollution can be a factor, especially in Austin, but Fountainwood's semi-urban view of the night sky is still quite dark, Bottorff said.
"This would be a wonderful opportunity to learn about science," said Bottorff, "get out in the fresh air and experience the enthusiasm of amateur and professional astronomy."
He offered the following tips for anyone interested in attending Friday's event:
• stick to the walking path,
• if you bring a flashlight, use a red lens to prevent light pollution,
• remember, there are no bathrooms at the observatory,
• also remember that humidity and cloud cover may affect viewing,
• and note that you don't have to come at the beginning of the viewing session to view. A half-hour is usually sufficient viewing time for many, Bottorff said.
Public viewings are also scheduled for Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.
Viewing groups meet at the Fountainwood Observatory, located near the Southwestern University baseball fields. Visit southwestern.edu/tour/campus-map.pdf for a map of the campus.
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
|
|
|
NEWS
