Now held on the roof of the L. S. Skaggs Applied Science Building every Wednesday evening, anyone and everyone is welcome to join in at the Willard Eccles Astronomy Observatory (WEAO) to peer out into the fascinating expanses far beyond our atmosphere.

Kicking off the grand opening of the new observatory on Oct. 29 was a presentation by observatory director Paul Ricketts from the U’s Department of Physics & Astronomy. In a delightful exploration of cosmology, he provided a comprehensive review of the universe, its beginning and end…and everything in between. More than 150 attendees were treated to impressive video simulations covering fascinating cosmic tidbits, such as the merging of galaxies. Ricketts explained that merging galaxies, “really aren’t very nice to each other.”

Ricketts shared compelling mysteries that astronomers discuss to this day, including the ever-elusive identity of dark matter and dark energy, and the many theories of how our universe might end. He concluded his talk with a simulation of one existence-ending scenario—all stars eventually run out of fuel, and the universe falls still. It was a somber look to a (very distant) future, undercut by Ricketts’ exclamation that, “Everything will come to an end, so party hard now!”

At that point, he unleashed the eager audience to the telescopes, and the party began.

The crowd was not disappointed. The night featured stellar appearances from local planetary neighbors like Neptune and Saturn, as well as the Lemmon Comet making its once-in-a-thousand-year pass around the sun. Some telescopes peered far deeper across the cosmos, observing Milky Way spectacles like the Ring Nebula, the Double Cluster and even a distant glimpse of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Many of Ricketts’ AstonomUrs—the U’s astronomy outreach group led by undergrads—were on hand to answer questions about the objects observed through the telescopes. Did you know that Neptune has spots similar to the Great Red Spot of Jupiter? Or that there’s a tiny white dwarf at the heart of the Ring Nebula? Or that the black hole in the center of the Andromeda Galaxy has a mass equal to over a hundred million suns? You do now!

And that’s just the tip of the impossibly large iceberg-of-a universe where we reside. “The best time to become an astronomer is now,” Ricketts told the crowd. What better place to start looking to the stars than a star party?

Much like the Big Bang that started it all, the night’s astronomical kick-off is the precursor of many more events, including the upcoming Frontiers of Science lecture on Dec. 3, with dark matter/dark energy astrophysicist Katherine Freese. That presentation, also at the L. S. Skaggs Applied Science Building, will be followed by a star party where AstronomUr’s eagerly await the chance to facilitate even more star gazing.

Star parties occur every Wednesday evening, weather permitting. Find more information, including start times, potential cancelations, and other events, at the WEAO and AstronomUr websites.

by Michael Jacobsen