Watchers of the Skies

Armed with telescopes of all sizes -- some homemade -- local astronomical groups host public "Star Parties" at sites around Los Angeles, including Griffith Observatory.

By Brenda Rees

SPECIAL TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

There are folks around Los Angeles who can't wait until the sun goes down when they can start partying.

But these partiers aren't interested in hitting the clubs, dining out in trendy fashion or making points with the "in" crowd. No, these people believe they're got front row seats to the best show in town -- the night sky.

And not content to keep this secret to themselves, these amateur astronomers routinely set up their telescopes at locales all over the Los Angeles area with the purpose of turning on the public to the wonders and mysteries that lay beyond our atmosphere.

"If the amateurs don't do this, no one will, certainly not the professionals" says John Dobson, founder the Sidewalk Astronomers who spoke recently at the star party held at Malibu Creek State Park. Hundreds of eager campers -- including many wide-eyed children -- lined up to take a look through the huge-tubed Dobsonian telescopes; Jupiter and her four moons were of particular interest.

"They are lined up just like a string of pearls!' one little girl exclaimed to her mother.

That excitement and wonder is what amateur astronomers love to hear.

"Most people can't believe we do this for free, but it's part of our mission," says Bill Scott, president of the L.A. Chapter of the Sidewalk Astronomers. "Looking through a telescope gives people a different perspective on life; we see ourselves as part of the universe."

Scott credits Dobson with designing a simple, easy-to-make telescope, the Dobsonian, when he was a monk living in Sacramento. Enthusiastic about enlightening the public about the universe, Dobson started the Sidewalk Astronomers in San Francisco in 1968 and, with other amateur astronomers, began setting up their handmade telescopes at street corners, national parks and shopping malls, any place, they say, where "dark skies and the public collide."

One of the more well-attended star parties in the LA area are the ones held monthly at Griffith Observatory, which are hosted by the Sidewalk Astronomers and the Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS).  The parties are usually scheduled the Saturday following the new moon, with amateur astronomers lugging their own telescopes onto the lawns in front of the Observatory and inviting the public to take a peak at the heavens above. It’s a comfortable, informal gathering that takes many Observatory visitors by surprise.

The Brito family from Los Angeles came up to the Observatory one warm Saturday night to watch the sunset and discovered a lawn filled with telescopes of all sizes. "I had no idea this was here," says mom Angela, "I think it's a great service. Tonight, we learned about things beyond our solar system and to think about what else might be out there."

Her son, 10-year old Daniel, had his first view of the moon from a telescope. "It was big and holy and had all these craters," he excitedly reports, adding that he wants to have a telescope at home one day.

Walking from telescope to telescope, visitors will find equally enthusiastic amateur astronomers willing to talk about double star clusters, gaseous clouds, distant galaxies, and, of course, whether there is life on distant planets.

"The Observatory is a fine place to hook the beginners, get them interested in astronomy," said LAAS member Norm Vargas who became a club member after stumbling upon the star party by accident. Vargas says that even though Griffith is close to the lights of the city, there are still plenty of things to see in the night sky there.

"Kids are very excited to look through the scopes; they are the ones who usually get the parents to look," says LAAS member Virginia Ward.

According to Ward, for many star party guests this is the first time they have ever looked through a telescope to see the moon, planets or an occasional comet. “Some don’t think [what they are seeing is] the real thing,” she says with a laugh. “They think we stuck a slide or image on the lens somehow. Nope, that’s the real thing, we tell ‘em.”

"We are a diverse group of people," says Sidewalk Astronomer president Bill Scott, who listed off members who are schoolteachers, film editors, set designers, lawyers, doctors, a supervisor of a sanitation district and even a monk.

In addition to hosting star parties, the Sidewalk Astronomers lead astronomy talks at schools, libraries and community centers, and when they are not out educating the public, they offer members telescope-making classes.

Likewise, the LAAS provides members with special star parties at the Steve Kufield Astronomical Site in Lockwood Valley as well as weekly gatherings at the Garvey Ranch Observatory in Monterey Park, which are also opened to the public. Once a month, the LAAS holds general meetings and presentations at Griffith Observatory.

There are many avenues to explore in astronomy, says LAAS president Tim Thompson who says many members are interested in astro-photography (photographing heavenly bodies) and "CCD imaginary, a technique that allows an image to be captured from a telescope to a computer and then shown on a monitor." Still others making telescopes, while some people just like to learn more about the patterns of the night sky, he says.

Where to go:

The next Star Parties at Griffith Observatory are scheduled for September 26, October 24 and November 28. Some telescopes will be set up in the late afternoon for viewing the sun, but most telescopes will arrive before dusk.

For more information about the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, write to them at: 2800 Observatory Road, Los Angeles CA 90027, or call (213) 673-7355. Check out their web site at: www.laas.org.

For more information about the Sidewalk Astronomers, write to: Sidewalk Astronomers, 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood CA 90068, or call (818) 841-0548 or (818) 842-6484. Visit their web site at www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6389/.