April brings global celebration of astronomy

Heather Miles loves peering into the cosmos.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe student has done it as long as she can remember.

“As a little kid, I lived way out in the country where it was really dark,” she said. “I had plenty of time to look up at the stars. I was always fascinated with the night’s sky. As I got older, I started learning more about what is up there and stuff to see.”

She is not alone.

Astronomers across the world will be looking up into the night sky this month in a global celebration of their science put on by Astronomers Without Borders.

The California-based organization started Global Astronomy Month in 2009.

“Global Astronomy Month was started to continue the high levels of engagement and interest in astronomy created by International Year of Astronomy in 2009,” Global Astronomy Month Coordinator Christie McMonigal said.

Astronomers Without Borders is hosting several events online and throughout the world as part of the month.

One of the biggest events is called Stars for All! and is a real-time gathering of astronomical images that will be converted into tactile surfaces to allow people with visual impairments to experience what it’s like to view through a telescope.

Don Wheeler, a local meteorologist and amateur astronomer, said astronomy is a phenomenal experience.

“It’s just a very fascinating science to be able to gaze over the sky and see objects that are visible to the naked eye and then to use a telescope … to see things that you can’t see with the naked eye,” he said. “You get a realization of just how vast and enormous our universe really is.”

Wheeler said the month provides a great opportunity to share the science with people.

“It’s great in the sense that it provides an opportunity to share that science with other people who have similar interests,” he said. “Or it may peak the interest of those who don’t realize they’re interested. We have stimulated the interest of many people in some of our star parties. People walk up and say ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ They peer into the telescope and suddenly they’re interested in it.”

Miles said she takes every opportunity she can to introduce people to her hobby.

“Sometimes it’s just my neighbors or friends,” she said. “It’s pretty fun to get other people excited about it.”

It may be as simple as standing in a parking lot and point out Jupiter to someone, Miles said.

“It’s about getting other people to look up, whether they’re interested in it or not, to expose them and get them to learn that it’s not just a star. It’s a planet or a nebula,” she said.

Wheeler and Miles are members of the Ouachita Valley Astronomy League, a local organization of astronomers that holds star parties and other events to gaze into the sky.

McMonigal said getting involved in astronomy is as easy as downloading an app.

“There are so many ways to get involved in astronomy,” she said. “You can download a star map online and go outside and try to spot constellations and planets using your naked eye or you could contact your local astronomy club to see what programs they are running.”

Wheeler said for those wishing to get more involved, purchasing a telescope is a great step.

“One of the most common questions that we have in the world of astronomy is what type of telescope do I need,” he said. “The best advice that we can give in a situation like that is to simply attend a local star party and look through someone else’s scope and gather as much information as possible before you invest that money. You can even see a lot of celestial objects with a good pair of binoculars.”

McMonigal said the month has one mission.

“The goal of GAM is to bring astronomy enthusiasts across the world together to celebrate Astronomers Without Borders' motto One People, One Sky,” she said. “We aim to get as many people involved in astronomy as possible — including families, novices, amateurs, professionals and everything in between.”

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On the Web

For more information about Global Astronomy Month, you can visit the website at www.gam-awb.org.

To learn more about the Ouachita Valley Astronomy League, visit www.ovalskies.com.