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| Aroostook Republican Photo/Theron Larkins William Popov, an astronomy student from MSSM, stands at the ready, as he and volunteers help to line their telescope eye-piece up with Jupiter. Meanwhile, a group of young astronomy enthusiasts patiently await their turn to climb the ladder and take a half a billion mile journey to the galaxy’s largest planet. |
By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The Paradis Shop ‘n Save parking lot was the site Monday for a half billion-mile journey through a telescope lens and on toward Jupiter.
Larry Berz, astronomy instructor at the Limestone School of Science and Mathematics was on hand, along with his astronomy student, William Popov, to help to bring the stars and the people of Caribou a little closer together. Along with their giant telescope, fittingly named “Goliath” the members of MSSM, who came out to share their knowledge, were able to provide a once in a lifetime glimpse 500 million miles into outer space.
The goal for the night was not only to see the waxing crescent moon that was brightly smiling down upon the crowd of viewers, but also to hopefully get a rare glimpse at Jupiter, as it hides, disguised as an average star, in the sky.
An excited group of astronomy enthusiasts, as well as local shoppers gathered around “Goliath” for a chance to catch a glimpse beyond the stars. For Berz and his students the astronomy viewing was not simply a chance for community members to look through the lens of a professional-grade telescope, but also to inform viewers what is currently going on in the universe, beyond what the naked-eye can see.
“We want the crowd size to continue to get larger. We want to raise awareness of the universe and develop some sensitivity to the night and we want to do it quickly,” said Berz. “We’re living in a world with encroaching light pollution, globally, it’s not just an American issue, it’s a global issue and we’re paying the price now.”
Light pollution, or photo pollution, is exactly what is suggests; the effect that man-made light is having on natural light levels. It is something most people have probably never thought about, but the excessive and obtrusive levels of artificial light does have a negative impact on our ability to see things like the stars through a telescope.
“Every time someone looks through an eye-piece, to me, it’s one step closer to global recovery,” said Berz. “It uplifts the heart. It gives a sense of mystery and wonder and we’re here because we believe we have a mission and a purpose to the community.”
On Monday, the night sky was clear and the issue of light pollution took a backseat to the sense of mystery and wonder that Berz mentioned. Despite the chilly single-digit temperature locals climbed the ladder to the top of “Goliath” and embraced their opportunity to travel deep into the universe, if only for a few moments.
“The other important point is that astronomy is for everyone. You don’t have to be a millionaire. You don’t have to have a Ph.D. It would certainly help, but if you can afford a computer or cell phone then you can afford a telescope.”
For Berz and his astronomy class, the joy of being able to share the astronomical experience with others is a reward in its own right. Still, the ultimate goal is to raise awareness and simply get people involved and enjoying the wonders astronomy has to offer.
“The key is to make people say, ‘hey, there’s something out there and it’s bigger than I am.’ We really just want to develop that hunger and get them curious about science,” said Berz, who also oversees the planetarium at Easton’s Malcolm Science Center.
The citizens of Caribou seemed to be hungry to learn more about science and astronomy on this night, as the giant telescope attracted a number of onlookers who may not have originally planned to see Jupiter on their way to the grocery store and the surprise and sense of wonder Berz mentioned was certainly shining through.
“Because, no one on earth can draw what someone can see through that telescope. You can go online and see a million pictures, but when your eyeball is there and you’re freezing your toes off, that means a lot to people,” said Berz. “And, as you can see, it builds communities. We’re building a sense of fun, a sense of awareness, and a sense of shared wonder. You don’t see a lot of that anymore.”
In case you missed the event, on Monday, there’s no need to worry. Berz is confident this will not be the last time he and his students will provide this opportunity to the community.
“Once the weather improves we’ll probably move over to the old Burger Boy for our venue, and we’ll continue the dream until people finally see and understand that they too can know and understand the sky better,” said Berz.
