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Health & Fitness

The Sky's the Limit? or It's a Long Way to Infinity. . .

Another galaxy could be as close as your own backyard. But, bring a flashlight if you plan on stargazing at the Custer Observatory.

 

With the end of summer comes the excitement (or dread) of going back to school, returning to work, starting something new or letting go of something old. In fact, there’s no time like the present to prepare for what’s coming. So, with the future in mind, I decided to go star gazing.

We’re fortunate on Long Island to have the Custer Observatory, so the opportunity to explore celestial wonders is practically in our backyard. Custer is notably also Long Island’s oldest observatory, and to look at its website, you’d have to assume they have a lot going on there. Conveniently, they are also open to the public every Saturday night, so instead of following the usual Labor Day itinerary of beach, barbeque and boozing, I opted for a trip to the observatory.

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After about an hour’s drive with a full moon ahead of me and otherwise unilluminated roads, I finally arrived. I wasn’t sure what the site of an observatory should look like, but what I saw looked like an abandoned barn (uh, with a dome—that’s how I knew it must be an observatory) in the middle of darkness. Not even the sign had any illumination.

Upon entering the front door, you have the choice of turning left to enter a room with a somewhat ad hoc array of books, astronomical memorabilia and refreshments. A lady chatting on her cell phone told me the “show” was in the other room (to your right). When I entered the other room, I saw a donations jar on another table that also displayed an equally ad hoc arrangement of books, magazines, as well as other papers having nothing to do with the venue or even astronomy . A gentleman was telling visitors to take a ticket and wait for their number to be called. Otherwise, there was no one who actually introduced the venue and its mission, or offered any structure for the steady stream of aimless human traffic that comprised the audience. While I waited, there was an informational video running, allegedly intended to introduce visitors to astronomy and why we should care about it. Apparently, nobody in the room cared as they all seemed to be having their own private conversations about everything else but astronomy. Additionally, there was one family who decided to plant themselves directly in front of the video screen until their number was called.

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Still, I waited patiently for my turn, and when it happened about half an hour later, I climbed the designated stairway to heaven. The stairway was actually two flights of very steep and narrow steps soaked in almost total darkness. At the top of course was the main telescope, as well as the “guide”, whose direction included telling us how to focus and how not to touch the eyepiece. How old is the telescope? Does it have a name? How far can you see with it? How much did it cost? Why is it so dark up here? A thousand questions haunted me as I peered into the eyepiece that might unlock some secrets of the galaxy. There were no answers to the obvious questions—or any questions, and sadly, the eyepiece did not really unlock the secrets of the galaxy either. After I focused the eyepiece, yes, I could see a few craters on the moon, but no stars or any other celestial wonder. I was told I would have to come back in about two weeks for that. I guess (from the layperson’s view) Astronomy is a lot more glamorous in theory than it is in actual practice.

To those who think I’m being unfairly critical of the observatory, which only charges $5 per person, I would say, you can see a lot of off off off Broadway theatre for the same price; and the quality and organization would be infinitely better than what I experienced at the observatory. And really, why make your venue open to the public at all, if you have no program and no activity that engages your audience in any way other than showing them where to look? There is so much potential here for Custer to make astronomy truly an adventure for the mind and eye, and even the mind’s eye. The sky IS the limit. Maybe, I’ll try again in a few weeks.

 

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