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January 12, 2025 - 7:00 AM
Every wonder exactly what you're looking at when you turn your gaze to the night sky? A society of astronomy enthusiasts have got you covered.
The Okanagan Centre chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is launching a new series of introductory courses at its monthly meetings that include a rundown of how to look at the night sky and understand what you’re looking at. The program was created for those who know nothing about the night sky but are curious to learn more.
The society's outreach program director Colleen O'Hare wants everyone to know how to take an informed look at the night sky.
“Everybody loves stars, right? But there's so much more to just loving the twinkling stars,” O'Hare told iNFOnews.ca.
“Being able to see galaxies that are millions of light years away, seeing star clusters with over a million stars in them that orbit our Milky Way galaxy, just learning about cosmology, the Big Bang, how this all came to be and where it's going. It's just fascinating.”
O'Hare caught the astronomy bug when she saw an ad in 2005 for the society.
“I thought, ‘I know astronomy, this would be fun.’ So, I went to the meeting and immediately realized I knew nothing about astronomy, and quickly followed that with the realization that I want to know everything about astronomy,” she said.
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One of the first lessons will be how to use a planisphere, also known as a star finder, which is a circular, rotating tool that assists in recognizing different constellations during different seasons. The society members will also explain how to use the Big Dipper, one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky, as a signpost to better locate other constellations.
The first monthly society meeting this year is from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 at Room C-368 in the Science Building at the Okanagan College Campus in Kelowna. The sessions are free of charge and drop-ins are welcome. The club wants the learning sessions to be accessible and easily digestible for all attendees.
“I love it when people see something that they didn't know was there. You can see that glimmer in their eye as they start to understand the universe,” O’Hare said. “It's bringing everybody together in a common fascination.”
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