Whether you’re a fan of astronomy, astrology, or wishing upon a star — mark your calendars. The community is invited to participate in stargazing the evening of Monday, June 15th.
The event is scheduled for 8:00 pm (with a rain date of June 16th.)
The public is invited to bring telescopes, or share ones provided. Southborough’s Dr. Destin Heilman will demonstrate how to use telescopes and guide viewing of stars, constellations and other “deep sky objects”. I’m told that since June 15th marks a new phase of the moon, the sky should be dark and ideal for sky viewing. (You may even be able to view Saturn.)
Fun will also feature games and the Trombetta’s ice cream truck.
The “Community Stargazing Night” will take place at the outdoor track next to Trottier Middle School, 49 Parkerville Road. Participants are asked to come prepared with something to sit on, a red flashlight, and bug spray.
The event is organized by two members of Southborough Troop 82377 Girl Scouts (Lucy Gardner and Elisabeth Lord). The project is part of their Silver Award project.
Their program will include education on light pollution (not only on stargazing enjoyment, but its impact on nature) and guidance on lighting choices to preserve our natural dark sky.
According an announcement. the girls hope that “through education and community engagement, there will be increased investment in smart lighting choices and business adherence to existing town lighting ordinances.” (You can read more about the Town’s lighting bylaws that were passed in 2021 to reduce light pollution here.)
As for Heilman’s involvement, the WPI Professor’s Linked In bio shares:
Beyond WPI, Destin is an accomplished astronomer and astrophotographer and advocates for protection of dark skies and open land, serving as a Trustee of the Southborough Open Land Foundation. He routinely conducts summer outreach programs in astronomy and general science education.
One of those outreach programs was at the Southborough Library in 2019. You can watch his Dark Skies presentation courtesy of Southborough Access Media here.
