To the Stars
Late Summer/early Fall might be the best time to stargaze (in our opinion). So, why not stop by the Cincinnati Observatory?
On a sunny September afternoon, we chatted with the Observatory’s Astronomer, Dean Regas.
“Lighthouse of the Sky”
“The best thing is getting people really excited…a lot of people really like astronomy and love talking about the stars.We try to be as accessible as possible, make it as fun as possible.. And get people really fired up about seeing through telescopes!”
Regas tells us every day is different at the Observatory.
His main job at the facility is education, inspiring people as they look at the stars (many for the first time) through a telescope.
“We get wow, oohs and ahhs, those are the top three things people say here,” he says.
Besides the night sky, two of the biggest wow-factors are the massive telescopes. One is the oldest telescope in the United States.
“This is the most amazing scientific instrument…177 years old, made out of wood and brass,” Regas says. “Everything was handmade in Munich, Bavaria (then) shipped over to Cincinnati and it’s been in service since 1845.
To have people look through this telescope and think of all the generations of people who’ve looked through this telescope and see the stars, the planets, it’s just a joy,” says Regas.
We dig for the truth here at Cincinnati People to give you the answers to questions you’ve been pondering. So, we had to ask.. Do the telescopes have names? They do!
He says the 177-year-old telescope goes by “The Old One,” “The Wooden One,” and also the name of the Observatory’s founder, Mitchell. So, it’s also called “The Mitchell Telescope.”
The Observatory is looking for a new nickname for the telescope and you can suggest one! Just head to the link at the bottom of the page. Right now, they say none of the names have grabbed their interest just yet. So, you might be the lucky one who gives them the next nickname!
Wondering what’s happening this Fall at the observatory and when you can peek at the moon, the stars and the planets?
Dean says this time of the year is prime time for star gazing!
“Traditionally, September and October are our best weather months so you have the best chance of getting clear skies and looking through the telescopes,” says Regas. “We have some amazing stuff – Saturn has been up in the sky starting this month. You can see the rings and everything when you look through the telescope.. it looks so amazing! In October, we have Jupiter joining us…You can see stripes, moons, and sometimes even the red spot.”
There’s a lot of cool stuff happening in October, including looking at the moon on Oct. 1 and Jupiter Night on Oct. 7.
For additional info, classes and events at the Observatory, click here.