Lanesboro Site Considered “Premiere” Spot For Stargazing

Amateur astronomer Ray Iezzi has been a stargazer since he was about 10 years old. “I love the outdoors, and there’s this whole world above us,” he said.

For him, viewing the heavens on a clear night is primarily about beauty and philosophy. “The light coming to my telescope may be 60 million years old!,” he said. “It’s (about) appreciating nature, beauty and wonder.”

Luckily, for a wonder-filled view of the night sky, he doesn’t have far to go. According to Rochester Astronomy Club Vice President John Attewell, Lanesboro’s Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center “is the premiere astronomy site for Southeast Minnesota.”

Though the astronomy club holds regular night-viewing parties in several places, Eagle Bluff is its “location of choice” because it has little light pollution, he said.

This, in fact, makes a huge difference. “Most people don’t know that a lot of objects in the sky are as large as the moon, but you just can’t see them because they are so dim,” he said. “The Andromeda Galaxy is three times the size of a full moon. You usually can’t see it because you don’t live in a dark spot.”

By David Hennessey

But all you need is that dark spot and a clear night. “Just getting out there is the first step,” Iezzi said.

If you want to enhance the experience, you don’t need a telescope, but can simply use a pair of binoculars, Iezzi noted. They have a wider field of view than telescopes, so they are good for looking at stars. Scopes are generally more suited to looking at the moon, planets or deep sky objects, but because they have a narrower field of view, they can be more difficult to aim at the object(s) one may want to see.

He also pointed out that there are many stargazing resources available online. Cleardarksky.com provides the best viewing times in a certain area. Cloudynights. com is a general site for both beginners and experienced sky watchers. Astrobin.com posts photos from amateur astronomers. If you want your own planetarium on your computer, check Stellarium.org.

There are also various phone apps for stargazing, such as SkySafari Pro. According to the web article, “How to Use Your Smartphone to Study the Stars,” at highpointscientific.com , “Most stargazing apps turn your smartphone into a visual guide. By using your location,

(it) can help you identify stars, planets and satellites. When you move your phone to a specific spot in the sky, the image on the app will move with you and display an exact replica of what you are looking at.”

A great introduction to stargazing is attending a viewing party, or “star party,” where beginners can benefit from the knowl edge base of experienced amateur astronomers and sample their many types of equipment. The Rochester Astronomy Club spon sors them, often at various locations, all open to the public. Each summer, it plans at least two viewing parties at Eagle Bluff, usually in the parking lot. To find out when star parties are scheduled in 2023, go to the Calendar Page on rochesterskies.org, the Rochester Astronomy Club website.

Attewell recommends doing three main things before attending a star party. First, read the club’s posted article, at RAC Night Sky Viewing Events,” posted on rochesterskies.org Second, check their calendar one or two hours before sunset to see if the event had to be canceled due to weather. Decisions to cancel are made close to dusk because cloudy afternoon skies will often clear up quickly after dark. Third, “dress warmer than you think you’ll need to be, even in summer,” “You’re outside at night and you’re standing still a lot.” interested in staying, the star parties at Eagle Bluff can go until 2 or 3 a.m. because it’s such a good viewing site. (There is a porta potty on site.)

For information about other activities at Eagle Bluff, visit their website, eaglebluffmn.org

Anytime you’re outside on a clear night, look aloft in wonder: much of that light comes from millions of years ago. You are peering deep into ancient time. z

ONLINE RESOURCES:

cleardarksky.com: Best viewing times in certain area cloudynights.com: General site for both beginners and experienced sky watchers astrobin.com: Posts photos from amateur astronomers stellarium.org: A planetarium comes to life on your computer

SkySafari Pro: An phone app for stargazing