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As visitors for Hollywild’s first Astronomy Night and Star Search braved the cold night to learn about stars, galaxies, nebula, black holes, and constellations. Then they unexpectedly became time travelers.Presenter Rick Boozer, an astronomer from Greer, SC, explained that studying the stars is an exercise in time travel. “The further into the sky you see, the further back in time you’ve traveled. Everything we see in the night sky has already happened.” As Boozer described the interplay of forces working to create two nebula seemingly intertwined in a colorful image seen on the projector screen, one viewer suggested that those gathered were seeing the real “Star Wars.” Following Boozer’s presentation, the group rode a bus through the park’s safari to an area set up for further exploration. Three telescopes, manned by Jessie Willard and Joey Poole, members of the Foothills Astronomical Society Club, and Lee Pettyjohn, a member of the Greenville Astronomy Club, helped visitors find the “red planet” Mars and look for its polar ice cap. Around a bonfire, visitors used binoculars to view constellations and catch their first glimpses of the Orion Nebula above their heads. “I usually suggest that anyone planning to learn about the stars begin with a good set of binoculars,” explained Jim Cooper, a member of the Foothills Astronomical Society who leads monthly astronomy meetings at FENCE. This helps them get familiar with the night sky and the orientation of the stars which makes learning to ‘sight’ a telescope much easier. Cooper worked with 11-year old Christopher Duncan of Inman, a student at The Spartanburg Day School. “I thought Mars would be redder,” he said after spotting the planet. Cooper explained the planet’s moniker and compared it’s coloration to the star Sirius, which gave off a bluish hue even to the naked eye. The education continued as outreach program director Linda Poole gave visitors resources and activities guides for a take-home extension of the Hollywild Stars experience. “We had great community support for developing this program and certainly plan to offer it again,” said Poole. Visit Astronomer Rick Boozer’s website www.singularsci.com where he offers a free guide for amateur astronomers. (Image provided by www.singularsci.com.)
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