ALIX SMITH
Special to The Leader
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . ”
. . . Just kidding! Nevertheless, in this galaxy, the Fredonia Observatory will open its doors for a second time.
A success in Spring 2017, Dr. Michael Dunham, assistant professor and astrophysicist, has decided to open the observatory’s doors again so the public can see the wonders of space and go on their own adventures.
The Observatory will open Wednesday, April 11 and continue to do so every Wednesday until the end of May. Each Wednesday there will be two viewings, the first at 9 p.m. and the second at 10:30 p.m. Each viewing will be able to hold ten visitors, so make sure you reserve a spot ahead of time. It’s free as well.
Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, no worries. It’s located on the top of the Science Center in an enclosed room.
You could argue that looking up at the nighttime sky is for romantic dates and midnight walks to clear one’s head. However, with the Plane View 17-inch reflecting telescope, you can see wonders you can’t see just by looking up. You can see details you didn’t know existed, or only have been able to know through books and documentaries on late night binge-watching escapades.
Do you remember that feeling of learning something “so cool” in elementary school, your eyes got as big as dinner plates, your jaw dropped to the floor and you just looked at as much information as you could? Paying The Observatory a visit may bring back that curiosity. After all, how much do we know about the theoretically infinite number of universes, let alone the patch of sky above us?
Dunham himself has been studying astronomy since his sophomore year of college as a physics major. His research details, as scientifically as possible at this current time, the understanding of the physics behind star formations, including stars such as the sun. He uses telescopes to observe young stars forming from the material around them to accrete mass.
Dunham described when he was first intrigued by astronomy.
“It was just such a fun experience — staying up late, collecting scientific measurements under a beautiful (if cold) night sky,” he said. “It ignited a passion for scientific discovery in me that continues to this day.”