Four miles away from the University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega campus lies the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory. Though weekdays are reserved for students attending classes or labs, the observatory doors are open to the public every clear Friday night.
The weekly event offers an opportunity for students, residents and astronomy buffs to experience the night sky through the observatory’s state-of-the-art telescopes. The ‘smaller’ telescope has a reflecting mirror that is 24 inches in diameter, and the ‘larger’ telescope’s mirror is 28 inches.
Dr. Gregory Feiden, Ph.D. and Director of the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, said the ‘larger’ 28-inch telescope is primarily used for public viewings.
“We use this telescope because it’s bigger, so you get slightly better views and it’s so much more impressive for the kids to stand in awe of just how big it really is.” – Dr. Gregory Feiden, Ph.D., Director of the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory
The public viewings are student operated, allowing the staff a higher learning opportunity. “I like to give our staff the kind of sense that they indicate what happens on a night to night basis,” said Feiden. “If there is something that they think would be a better target to look at or a topic to discuss, I want to make sure that they get the experience of making those decisions.”
On Sept. 20, the public viewing was held by the facility’s head telescope operator, Jack Vogel, a senior astrophysics major. Vogel took guests on a tour of both domes, starting with the ‘smaller’ dome to get their eyes acclimated to the dark by standing under vibrant red lighting while he explained objects that would be viewed that evening.
“The objects we’re going to look at tonight are really visible, however it’s a super humid night,” Vogel said. “If it were to be a perfectly dry night, the objects would come off clearer, so what we see will be slightly grainy here.”
The celestial bodies that were shown were globular star clusters, a nebular star and Saturn. Even with the humidity in the air, guests were in awe of the celestial bodies that were seen.
Maurizio Bullerdick, a junior nursing major who regularly attends the viewings, said the event is a great way to experience what is beyond the reach of the naked eye.
“Being able to witness the stars and planets from the massive telescopes was an eye opener,” Bullerdick said. “I’m so lucky to be a part of a university that grants such an experience as this one.”
Both Feiden and Vogel encourage everyone to attend. The facility’s doors are open to the public every Friday night from 8 p.m – 12 a.m., weather permitting.
