Abigail Dunagan, Campus Carrier features editor

Cammie Wilks, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

Anyone can look up and see the moon and stars in the night sky, but light years away, more lies past what the human eye can see. Space can sometimes feel small, but there are galaxies, globular clusters, diffuse nebulae and constellations stretching out into the cosmos. Though no one can explain every mystery in our universe, objects in space can be fun to look at. 

On some mornings, every Berry student receives an email with an invitation to a “Star Party” at the Pew Observatory. This building is located on Mountain Campus, on the dirt road next to the Gunby Equine Center. The road will pass through a gate that leads to Possum Trot Road, and after traveling down this path for several minutes, two small wooden buildings will come into view. These buildings look unassuming at first, but a closer look reveals that the roof rolls down to allow for a full view of the night sky above through two telescopes.

Reid Professor of Physics and Astronomy Todd Timberlake arrived at Berry in 2001, although he did not begin hosting the Star Parties until 2009, when the former professor who ran the observatory left. The Pew Observatory was built in 1988, after Berry received a grant to improve science instruction. Over the years the building has been repaired, and the telescopes have been replaced, but the observatory remains an important resource for the science department. 

These Star Parties give students a chance to look through a telescope to get a closer look at different planets and moons. On some nights, the rings of Saturn or the bands around Jupiter can be observed, however this depends on the time of the year and the weather. 

“The stars and deep-sky objects have a repeating pattern,” Timberlake said. “Whatever we saw in our Star Party earlier this week, next year in March we can see the same stuff.” 

While these events are a unique opportunity to see planets and constellations, the observatory is a bit of a drive to Mountain Campus, and students don’t typically find out that they are happening until the day of. According to Timberlake, he sends out the announcements for the Star Parties on the same day they are hosted because weather can be unpredictable, and skies must be clear to allow for proper vision. Even with proper planning, weather can still throw a wrench on an otherwise good night to view the sky. 

To determine the best days of the week to host a star party, Timberlake uses a software called “Stellarium,” which allows him to track the movements of planets and determine what will be visible on certain days. The two telescopes in the observatory are electronically controlled, and it can point to certain objects in the sky on command. He also has a few portable telescopes that can be brought to the main campus if there are certain events taking place. Last year, there were two partial solar eclipses that were seen on campus during the day. Despite the challenges that arise when organizing and preparing for these events, Timberlake enjoys sharing his interest in astronomy with students from all academic disciplines. 

“My favorite part is seeing someone’s reaction when they see something they get excited about,” Timberlake said. “When someone puts their eye against a telescope and goes, ‘Woah!’” 

Freshman engineering and physics major Jonah Hendrickson developed an interest in astronomy by visiting one of the Star Parties last semester. At the party, while finding himself fascinated by the stars, Timberlake mentioned that he wanted to hire a new observatory assistant. Hendrickson applied and got the job, now he is starting to work at the Star Parties and being trained. His job includes manually setting up the observatory, knowing which stars are where, and teaching attendees about what they’re looking at through the telescopes. 

“I think it’s important to have a perspective that there is more out there besides just us,” Hendrickson said.  “There’s so much more to discover, and so many beautiful things. We can see all the nebulae, globular clusters and entire galaxies out there, trillions of light years across the universe. Our problems don’t seem as important when you see how big the galaxy is.”

With his newfound appreciation for astronomy, Hendrickson hopes to continue expanding his knowledge. Now, he plans to use his physics degree to spend more time studying the galaxy and pursuing a career in space exploration. 

“Coming in as a freshman and being able to take advantage of the opportunity to do something super cool like working at the observatory is fantastic,” Hendrickson said. “It’s part of the reason why I chose to come to Berry, to pursue all these opportunities to get into exactly what interests me.”

Though Star Parties can be a far drive away, and are held late on random nights, it is still a fun and unique opportunity that Berry offers. Timberlake and the observatory assistants encourage students to come out at least once and unravel the mysteries of space for themselves, because sometimes, to find something beautiful, all you have to do is look up.