When I first heard there was an astronomy group in Southern Utah, I was ecstatic. I found their website, subscribed to their e-mail list, and soon after, was invited to a St. George Astronomy Group star party, graciously hosted by Manning Butterworth and his elegant wife, Chris. I was trepidatious at first, not knowing what to expect. Upon my arrival at 7 p.m., my fears were nullified; the hosts and attendees were open, honest, and very kind.
On June 7, the sun was blazing low in the sky. I set up my 8-inch Dobsonian telescope as quickly and carefully as one could, as I was distracted by what I saw in the driveway. When you see two high-end solar telescopes, you make it a priority to look through them as soon as possible. The first was a Meade Coronado 60MM double-stacked Hydrogen Alpha solar scope belonging to Mark Shelton. The second was Butterworth's 40MM Coronado piggybacked PST Hydrogen Alpha scope, on top of another scope fitted with a white light glass solar filter.
If you have never seen the sun through a telescope with a H-Alpha filter, I implore you to take advantage. You will never look at our closest star the same way again.
After my careful but hasty setup, I made my way over to Shelton and Butterworth, who were fine-tuning their instruments. When they were ready for viewing, I jumped at the opportunity; they eventually had to pry me away.
As the sun gently set behind Pine Valley Mountain, we were all invited to watch a live streaming broadcast of Space X's new Dragon V2 spacecraft, designed to carry astronauts to orbit Earth and beyond. Quiet whispers of excitement filled the room, and we were left with hope for the future of America's space program.
After we talked, laughed, debated, and enjoyed each other's company, Eric and Nancy Nelson, Bob Smith, Dick Stone, Shelton, and I went outside and continued setting up our telescopes, which included a 10-inch Meade LX200 Classic, a 10-inch Meade LX200 GPS Schmidt Cassegrain, and a 5-inch Schmidt Cassegrain.
The sun was now a distant memory, and the stars began to light up the night sky. Don Warner broke out his green laser pointer and began pointing out various objects. Some were eager to look up, some were ecstatic to look through the various telescopes, and others were there simply to have fun and converse.
'A successful astronomy group must contain a broad spectrum of interests; people who come from different professions, including astrophotography, asteroid research, and individuals who enjoy [the] atmosphere. And let's not forget the people who just love a good BBQ, the great outdoors, and the night sky. We cater to every enthusiast,' Butterworth said.
I brought my telescope to share with everyone, but I had an ulterior motive: My telescope was not working properly. I asked for help and was surprised by how quickly they were eager to lend assistance and provide tools. Shelton knew right away that my telescope was improperly collimated. Lucky for me, he had a laser collimator with him, and in no time my Dob was working at full capacity. Butterworth suggested I point it at Mizar to test it, and the double star was as sharp as a razor. I was very grateful for their help.
The group couldn't have picked a better night for stargazing; no moon, dark skies, and great company. This was no accident, as the professionals involved with SGAG know what time to stargaze and when they do, they invite everyone involved to come and join them.
'The conditions in Southern Utah are ideal for astronomy; we have 300 days of clear skies every year,' Shelton said. 'Our organization is cohesive enough to keep people interested, and we want everyone to join us.'
Deep Sky Objects were ever-present, and for the first time, I was able to find the ring nebula without any fancy gadgets. Butterworth's years of experience pointed out its exact location, using the constellation Lyra as a guide. He pointed out a dark patch of sky between the stars Sheliak and Sulafat with Warner's laser pointer and said, 'It's right there, you'll find it.' I was up for the challenge. I aligned my telescope, and lo and behold, I found it in no time. I was humbled by his knowledge of the sky.
For me, the highlight of the night was when Warner allowed me to use his laser pointer. I was fortunate enough to locate six or seven satellites with it. During that time, I saw a brilliant satellite crossing north to south in the eastern sky. As I was pointing it out to the group, Butterworth announced, 'iridium flair!' and just then, it lit up like a supernova. That image will be forever burned in my mind. Not since my first view of Saturn have I ever been in awe of a celestial object, and considering it's man-made, it was especially memorable. It nearly brought me to my knees.
'The universe has always fascinated me [with] its vastness and beauty,' Butterworth said. 'I often imagine myself traveling to other galaxies, and when I do, it takes my breath away; actually, it's more than that. For me, it's a spiritual experience.'
The goals of SGAG are broad in scope. As a new group to our community, they are looking to broaden not only their horizons, but ours as well. They host star parties on a regular basis, and are branching out to educate our local schools, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, and 4-H, among others.
John Mosley, the founder of SGAG, handed the proverbial reins to Shelton in April.
'John's idea was for me to get the ball rolling, and I aim to please,' Shelton said. 'I see this as a group of individuals who enjoy each other's company. Our [goal is] to be involved with the community. We do not charge for our service. Everyone associated with the SGAG are volunteers; this stems from our passion.'
Shelton is a born leader, with an inspiring love for the sky.
Butterworth is the quintessential astronomer. His knowledge and expertise in astronomical equipment and the universe is unparalleled.
'My first experience seeing the sky through a telescope was when I borrowed a friend's Dob. I pointed it at the brightest object I could find; it was Jupiter, and I was awestruck. Astronomy has been my passion ever since,' he said. 'As time passed, I found myself becoming more involved. I took up the practice of astrophotograhy and found myself going to star parties. Star parties are not only fun, [but] they are also a valuable way to share information, help with equipment, and make friends.'
When asked why previous astronomy groups in the area have not been as successful as SGAG, Manning said, 'In my opinion, past astronomy groups have dissolved because they had a narrow focus. What sets us apart is our intention; we accept everyone. We are here to learn, teach, and grow from each other. A healthy club caters to all levels of interest.'
I had a blast getting to know everyone, not to mention looking through all the various telescopes. If you are interested in getting involved with SGAG, contact them via their website:
Entities 0 Name: Butterworth Count: 8 1 Name: Shelton Count: 7 2 Name: SGAG Count: 5 3 Name: Schmidt Cassegrain Count: 2 4 Name: Southern Utah Count: 2 5 Name: Warner Count: 2 6 Name: Meade Count: 2 7 Name: Nancy Nelson Count: 1 8 Name: Lyra Count: 1 9 Name: St. George Astronomy Group Count: 1 10 Name: John Count: 1 11 Name: Pine Valley Mountain Count: 1 12 Name: Sulafat Count: 1 13 Name: Don Warner Count: 1 14 Name: Sheliak Count: 1 15 Name: Bob Smith Count: 1 16 Name: Chris Count: 1 17 Name: America Count: 1 18 Name: John Mosley Count: 1 19 Name: Manning Butterworth Count: 1 20 Name: Mizar Count: 1 21 Name: Coronado Count: 1 22 Name: Saturn Count: 1 23 Name: Meade Coronado Count: 1 24 Name: Dick Stone Count: 1 25 Name: Manning Count: 1 26 Name: Mark Shelton Count: 1 27 Name: Jupiter Count: 1 28 Name: Earth Count: 1 29 Name: Eric Count: 1 Related Keywords 0 Name: butterworth Score: 84 1 Name: telescopes Score: 66 2 Name: sgag Score: 60 3 Name: shelton Score: 56 4 Name: sky Score: 53 5 Name: astronomy Score: 46 6 Name: laser Score: 25 7 Name: meade Score: 25 8 Name: star Score: 24 9 Name: pointer Score: 23 Authors Media Images 0
Post a Comment for "Counting stars, making memories with the St. George Astronomy Group"