Joe Renzetti from the Columbus Astronomical Society, helps participants understand what they are seeing as they look through a massive telescope.
On Saturday, April 20, members of the Columbus Astronomical Society (CAS) shared their telescopes with approximately 250 people – mostly Westerville elementary students and their family members – at CAS and the Westerville Elementary Boosters’ Stars in the Park stargazing night. Throughout the course of the night, the amateur astronomers helped participants view Jupiter with its distinctive stripes and its many moons, Saturn and its stunning rings, our moon’s cratered surface, the Orion nebula where stars are born, several star clusters, twin stars, and even, briefly, a comet!
Families enjoyed looking at books about astronomy, sipping hot cocoa and cider, as well as receiving take-home star charts and fascinating NASA images of space objects so they can continue their learning after the event. A young Westerville student summed up the evening's enthusiasm when she jumped up and down declaring, “I love looking at space!”
The Westerville Elementary Boosters and the Columbus Astronomical Society plan to hold future stargazing events to build on the success of this inaugural outing. Look for announcements late this summer/early fall.
Also, the Elementary Boosters invites the community to its free astronomy and arts festival, Starry Night, on April 28 from 2:00 – 8:00 at Westerville South High School. The event will offer fun, hands-on science and art activities for children of all ages. It features the Sky Dome Theater inflatable planetarium (sponsored by Nationwide Children's Close to Home) and rocketry with Tom Burns from the Perkins Observatory, along with many other exciting exhibits.