Prairie stars: Popular star parties return to UIS beginning Sept. 8

Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal- Register
·2 min read

Who hasn't looked up at the night sky and pondered a thought or two?

"One of the few things we have in common (as human beings) is an experience with the night sky," said John Martin, an associate professor of astronomy/physics at the University of Illinois Springfield. "We experience it differently today than people did 20,000 years ago.

"What are the stages for kids growing up? It's dinosaurs first, then outer space. It's something that captures our imagination, that way."

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By day and night: Associate Professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Illinois Springfield John Martin, right, talks about the solar telescope being used by the Director for military and veteran student services, Loren Easter, as they observe the sun on the roof of Brookens Library at UIS Thursday, August 31, 2023. The Friday Night Star Parties return to UIS on Sept. 8.

Martin hosts the popular star parties, now in its 47th year, at the UIS Observatory on the roof of Brookens Library from 8 to 10 p.m. beginning Sept. 8. The parties run through the end of October.

Even looking through a telescope at the moon is a whole new encounter for some, Martin said. Then there are Saturn and Jupiter, the Ring Nebula (M57), globular star clusters M13 and M15, and other double stars.

"We love to share that," Martin said. "And we try to do something different every week."

Over the past 47 years, the campus, with its buildup, has gotten a little brighter, Martin admitted, but the open skies beckon not too far away.

That has a ring to it: The Southern Ring Nebula is called a planetary nebula. Despite “planet” in the name, which comes from how these objects first appeared to astronomers observing them hundreds of years ago, these are shells of dust and gas shed by dying sun-like stars.
That has a ring to it: The Southern Ring Nebula is called a planetary nebula. Despite “planet” in the name, which comes from how these objects first appeared to astronomers observing them hundreds of years ago, these are shells of dust and gas shed by dying sun-like stars.

"I encourage people, pick a direction and just drive out from under the city lights every once in a while," he said. "That's one of the nice things about living in central Illinois. Yes, some of us live in the city. We have the streetlights, but we can get away from them. It's not like you have to drive several hours to get under a dark sky here."

Star parties are free and open to the public. Walk-ups are welcome but attendees are encouraged to pre-register so they can receive updates and information about the event, including the weather, at www.uis.edu.

The parties may be canceled due to cloudy weather.

Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to (217) 206-8342 after 7 p.m. on viewing nights. Participants may also follow the UIS Observatory (@UISObservatory) on Twitter/X or Martin’s Instagram (@SPIAstroGuy) for updates.

Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Look heavenward at the University of Illinois Springfield star parties