Goodrich-In more than four decades of sky-watching, Richard Walker recalls one brief close encounter.
‘It was about 1 a.m.? (he and a friend) had been observing for three of four hours,? says Walker a planetarium specialist at Robert T. Longway Planetarium in Flint.
‘There was a thin layer of clouds, but we could still see through it.We looked high in the northeast and saw a fuzzy glow in the sky. It was about the size of the full moon and we swung one of the telescopes over to look at it and it wasn’t moving at all. Then the clouds thickened up and we couldn’t see it any more.?
Walker, estimates they watched the object for about three minutes and were sure the object was not a cloud, satellite, or a star. Strangest of all, says Walker, was the fixed position of the object.
‘There’s nothing in the sky that doesn’t move and we have no idea what it was. That was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in over 40 years of observing.?
Strange as the incident was, Walker deems the sighting explicable and ‘the coolest thing I ever saw.?
Such astronomical encounters are all part of Walker’s lifelong studies, information he provides planetarium visitors regarding telescopes and tips on better views of the heavens..
Walker said the most significant problem facing local stargazers is an overabundance of lights.
‘It doesn’t matter where you go’you can still see lights,? laments Walker. The artificial brightness, he explains, washes out the sky, putting a serious damper on one’s ability to see celestial bodies.
‘The bright lights are really ruining astronomy. How many people have seen the Milky Way,? says Walker. He explained there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to see the galaxy with relative ease, if only it were darker.
Walker does have some advice for anyone wanting to spend some time exploring the night skies.
First, explains Walker, not everyone need run out and buy a telescope.
‘Try binoculars first. There’s a lot of stuff you can see with binoculars; star clusters, a couple of galaxies, four of Jupiter moons and of course our own moon.?
For those who decide to take the plunge into buying a telescope, Walker suggests going big, but not too big.
‘Buy the biggest telescope that you can move and carry, but don’t get one too big,? says Walker.
Having a telescope that is too large to easily tote around will make using it a chore, Walker explained.
‘You want to get one where the mirror is at least 4- inches in diameter.?
And while telescopes may range in price to thousands of dollars, Walker said their is no need to get one with all the bells and whistles.
‘You can get a really decent telescope between $200 and $300.?
Whether or not a telescope or binoculars are available, Walker says there is plenty to see in the sky this time of year.
Items of interest to scope out include:
n Saturn, located straight up overhead at 10 p.m.
n Mars, located high in the west, is getting closer and closer to Saturn. The two will be nearest to each other in mid June.
n Jupiter, located in the south east, ‘looks like an .incredibly bright star,? said Walker. Both the ball of the planet and up to four of it’s moons will be visible at 11 p.m.
n Venus, located in the east, will appear even brighter than Jupiter and will be visible 45 minutes to an hour before sunrise.
n A comet that’s in the process of breaking into pieces will be visible through a telescope in mid-May.
n The Perseid meteor showers will occur in August. Walker suggest using nothing but the naked eye to view these since telescopes and binoculars only allow focus on a small section of the sky.
National Astronomy Day is May 6, and there will be some local activities going on in celebration of constellations.
Walker is hosting a star party at the Robert T. Longway Planetarium in Flint at 8:30 p.m. Additionally, Walker said Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road in Dryden, will be hosting events throughout the day.
At a gathering of stargazers, ‘we have one of those windows of a perfect sky,? says Walker. Through the clear evening sky, he saw something few witness.
‘I saw a hint of the spokes in the rings of Saturn,? says Walker, referring to the darkness that streaks the planets rings. The window for such a rare opportunity lasted less than a half hour.
It was, to Walker, a fleeting gift from the universe he’s spent so long studying’and one more reason to keep watching the sky.