On Monday, September 29th, Southwestern hosted the Williamson County Astronomy club for an (unfortunately cloudy) night of stargazing. Led by Dr Mark Bottorff, an Emeritus Physics Professor and former SU faculty member who came out of retirement to help bring the Fountainwood Observatory out of the mothball state it has languished in. 

The observatory night was the first of three being held this semester. Running from 8:00pm to 11:00pm, the event started slow, with groups of students trickling in over the course of an hour, to a peak of around twenty people. Upon arrival, students are greeted by a field of telescope stands, with several members of the Williamson County Astronomy Club (WCAC) setting up their own telescopes for students to view the night sky. Unfortunately this Monday evening was quite cloudy, preventing any naked-eye-viewing of the stars. Still, several members of the astronomy club had personal telescopes set up. These instruments allowed students a chance to view the moon through gaps in the clouds. The moon, while a little hazy, was still very much visible, allowing students to observe the surface in all its pockmarked beauty.

While students could see little more than the moon through the clouds, members of the WCAC were happy to share their hobby with students. One member of the club showcased some of the long exposure photos he’d taken of different stellar objects. The images were gorgeous, each taken over hours and hours, with some in different spectrums of light, allowing certain colors to flourish in ways that delighted onlookers. Another club member worked the observatory’s telescope, explaining to the watching students the process by which those photos were taken, and how repeated exposure averages out the “static” we see in so many photos of the cosmos. 

Knowing the weather forecast meant less chances for viewing stars, Dr. Bottorff was prepared to entertain any questions the attendees could muster, either about astronomy or the observatory itself. He discussed his hope to train “faculty, staff, and students [him]self” but that “there are too many other things to finish up to get the observatory up to speed in the remaining weeks”. He later spoke about how a partnership between SU and WCAC would be an excellent way to facilitate this training over the long term. Citing “ the relationship between the University of Denver and the Denver Astronomical Society who have partnered, to the benefit of both, for over 50 years”

To anyone with the ability and even a remote interest, I would highly recommend these observatory nights. There are two more this semester, Oct 19th and Nov 17th, each running from 8:00pm to 11:00pm, though be sure to check postmaster for any updates. The joy and energy the club members had for their hobby was infectious, and it was hard not to enjoy listening to them. And while they all describe themselves as “amateurs” I know I speak for many of the students present when I say we were all blown away by their expertise.