When I was young, I used to look up at the night sky and dream. I lived in Atlanta, a location filled with light pollution, so it was rare that I saw more than a few weak pinpoints of light scattered around the moon. Still, I pondered. Where did the stars come from? Did everyone see the same sky? How did the moon change shape?

Since the dawn of humanity, people just like me have looked up to the sky and wondered. Cultures across the globe have developed mythologies about the cosmos, from stories of the creation of the sun and moon to depictions of constellations. Egyptians built the pyramids with astronomical significance in mind and were fascinated by the stars that circled the North Pole. Ancient Babylonians invented cycles to track eclipses that are still used today. American slaves sang signal songs linked to the North Star, Polaris, to lead them to the Underground Railroad. Astronomy is so linked to humanity that people make personal connections with the stars. In modern times, human lives are intricately woven with space, from rocket launches to the satellites that make GPS possible. 

However, even as we explore space, people are as far away from the stars as they’ve ever been. Light pollution blocks most of the light from stars, and places where one can see the full expanse of the Milky Way are few and far between. Astronomy is rarely taught in schools, and few people have the opportunity to discover the night sky without buying expensive telescopes. 

Reaching for the Stars

I was in much the same position. Most of what I knew about astronomy came from watching NOVA documentaries and reading books. I never had the opportunity to use a telescope to learn astronomy firsthand. All the same, I had a fascination with space. The vastness of it didn’t fill me with emptiness; it left me feeling excited. Every time I learned something new, such as how stars formed, the origins of the solar system, or the mysterious nature of gravity, I was left with more questions. My passion to learn more led me to pursue a degree in astronomy at Cornell University. The program taught me everything from the magnetic braking of pulsars to the intricacies of black holes. I had the opportunity to use the college’s observatory and see the cosmos firsthand. My excitement for astronomy only grew through formal education, and all I ever wanted to do was share that with others. 

I started my career at Jackson College because I knew it was unique among community colleges due to its state-of-the-art astronomical observatory. Jackson College is attempting to bridge the knowledge gap in astronomy and make the field of study more accessible to everyone. The observatory not only has the capacity for research, but also provides ample outreach opportunities for the public. 

Jackson College’s Astronomical Observatory CDK700 telescope

From Vision to Reality

Jackson College’s telescope was built locally by Planewave Instruments, a company in Adrian, Michigan. This company is well known in the field of astronomy and has partnered with countless others in the field, such as Miratlas, a pioneering manufacturer of atmospheric monitoring technology. Planewave has created new optical testing methods and has built telescopes all over the U.S. at other academic institutions, such as Georgia State University. The model of telescope owned by Jackson College is the CDK700 system, which features a 4540 mm focal length and a 70 mm image circle. It is housed in an astronomical dome built in Germany and assembled on-site by Sea West, a company that continues to contract with Jackson College and provides ongoing training and maintenance for the dome. The dome can rotate independently of the telescope and is connected to a weather station that can inform when conditions are safe to open the dome. The telescope is equipped with multiple CCD cameras, or charge-coupled devices, which convert photons into electrical signals. These cameras allow the telescope to take stunning photographs in a variety of filters to best capture the details of celestial objects. One technique the telescope is capable of is speckle photometry, which allows for short exposures to decrease the impact of atmospheric conditions on the photos. Water vapor blocks many wavelengths of light, enabling us to create amazing photographs despite being below the cloud layer. The telescope can track objects automatically at speeds of up to 50 degrees per second, which is fast enough to track satellites. It can also stay targeted on the same celestial object throughout the night and provides remote access to enable people all over the world to use the telescope. Because of this, there are plans to partner with other colleges and universities to sell research time and access Jackson College’s telescope. The possibilities for research are endless, from using the telescope’s spectrometer to detect the composition of planetary atmospheres outside our solar system to tracking binary star systems. The telescope provides students and scientists alike ample opportunity to observe the sky. Jackson College hopes to create a full-fledged astronomy program with multiple classes tied to the telescope to provide opportunities for students to work on a degree in astronomy in the future.

Bringing the Cosmos to the Community

While the astronomical observatory has great potential for research, it is perhaps more valuable as an outreach tool for the community. The telescope works well for photography purposes, but it can also be used for optical viewing through its periscope. This is what community members enjoy most about visiting the telescope. Observing nights are offered free of charge to the public on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. The periscope is ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. This means anyone can look through the eyepiece to see high-quality images of the cosmos. The telescope is sensitive enough for people to explore the Galilean moons of Jupiter, details in globular clusters like Messier 13, and the craters of the moon. People can see stars of different colors and learn about what differentiates blue stars from red stars, or see and learn about the composition of Saturn’s rings. Hands-on learning is crucial for all age groups and experience levels to make what they may have read or heard come to life. The exterior patio by the observatory has piers where smaller telescopes can be mounted, providing more opportunities for stargazing when the observatory is busy. Even on cloudy nights with poor observing conditions, Jackson College offers tours and staff members answer questions about space.

Jackson College provides outreach to local school districts, libraries, and museums to help bring the magic of the astronomical observatory to the public when they can’t come to campus in person. The college has offered science outreach to children as young as preschoolers to older adults in retirement homes. During these visits, staff members share images from the telescope and explain pertinent phenomena such as the April solar eclipse or the May aurora that appeared in Michigan following a solar storm. In addition, the college has partnered with the local YMCA to provide programming options, such as making stellar life-cycle diagrams with summer camp students. Various TV, radio, and social media channels have advertised and educated the public about available opportunities. As scholarships for students are planned for the fall, the astronomical observatory will bring the community and Jackson College students together. Students who want the opportunity will learn how to operate the astronomical observatory, use astrophotography, and gain the necessary astronomical knowledge to help facilitate public events. It truly is a unique opportunity in such a small community. 

Seeing the Impact Up Close

My time working with Jackson College’s astronomical observatory was a gift. There is magic in hearing people exclaim at seeing something new in the sky, learning about how to find the North Star to navigate, or discovering Olbers’ Paradox. The night sky is a part of all of us. Monuments to the stars have existed for millennia, and even today we look at the sky and dream. Jackson College provides a little oasis amongst the cosmos to give the gift of the stars to all. 

Talia Burns is former Coordinator, Astronomical Observatory, at Jackson College in Jackson, Michigan.

Opinions expressed in Innovation Showcase are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the League for Innovation in the Community College.