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Wish Upon a Star Explore astronomy affordably and locally Story, photos and interactive element by Ashlie Doran When you're staring at the stars enjoying the moment, life's simple. Epiphanies, wonderment, ah, the inspired experiences found gazing at the heavens!
A visit to the Northcountry Planetarium at the State University College at Plattsburgh (PSUC) on Friday the 13th of April during its annual public shows brought the inspiration of play back into the joy of learning. The presentation of the "Explorers of Mauna Kea," was a relaxing experience. For about an hour, the documentary explored the Hawaiian volcano of Mauna Kea, the largest in the Pacific basin, the world of an astronomer, and the galaxy, which is a grand adventure for those cooped up in Plattsburgh. It would appear many Plattsburgh natives were up for a little star gazing because the 7 p.m. show sold out relatively quickly. I caught the 8:15 p.m. show, which was well attended. The Algonquin Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club comprised the majority of the crowd. After the lights dimmed, the crowd and I quickly learned there is more to Hawaii than a paradise-like setting. Although, the breathtaking aerial views sweeping across the tropical landscape and impressive shots of Mauna Kea made it hard to imagine. The orchestral music was cliché for a documentary, but it swelled dramatically at the appropriate moments aiding both my mood and the thematic elements. Mauna Kea, Hawaii has one of the best views of space in the world. Yes. Really. It's all about location, location, location. It's as important in astronomy as it is in every day life. To view space, it helps to be very high above the clouds. Some of the most impressive telescopes in the world reside on Mauna Kea because it is 13,796 feet above sea level, which is above 40 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. This means more clear night skies. Paired with the stability and dryness of the higher atmosphere, the height of Mauna Kea grants almost perfect conditions to view not only this galaxy, but galaxies on the far edges of the universe that you and I can only dream about.
Mauna Kea is also remote. Bright city lights can't interfere with the dark, deep, night sky. Plus, Hawaii is close to the equator. This means more stars and planets can be observed. Distance from the equator increases the number of fixed constellations, thus, limiting the observable possibilities. For these reasons, the largest astronomical observatory with telescopes operated by astronomers from 11 different countries call Mauna Kea home. The telescopes on Mauna Kea are 60 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope, according to the University of Hawaii Institute of Astronomy. These great telescopes are also very large. And the large telescopes come with large mirrors to capture the star light. In the past, the size of the mirrors was limited by technological incapacities. Now, mirrors can be one meter thick and 10 meters wide and weigh 19 tons. Modern telescope mirrors also have nearly perfect curves to prevent warping under the heat of the reflected light. It was easy learning. The documentary is presented in a way that retains a child-like sense of wonder, and encourages curiosity. Explanations are clear and simple, as they should be. For a moment, my sense of play was satiated when Lisabeth Kissner, astronomer lecturer at PSUC, turned on the "mysterious galaxy in the shape of a light bulb," and gave the crowd the task to refract the light with a mirror into a projected circle on the dome ceiling. Kissner spoke to the crowd in a caring and light-hearted way about the extraordinary aspects of telescopes and the universe without using heavy scientific jargon. The task she put before the crowd illustrated that many mirrors capturing the light and reflecting it to one place increases its intensity. Giggles escaped several members of the crowd as they played with their mirror moving the reflected light to make it appear as though there were crazy, disoriented fairies flying around the top of the dimly lit dome. Saving the best for last, the show ended with a display of Hawaii's night sky. In a plush, reclined chair I lounged gazing at the twinkling light. The stars observable from Plattsburgh were also displayed, but for a moment that evening I basked under new stars. There was no need to dream of Hawaii or wish upon a star. Did you own a telescope as a kid?
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