Despite the remnants of Hurricane Ian moving through the Northeast this past weekend, one Stevens organization braved the weather in the name of science. The Society of Physics Students (SPS) took their astronomy-based camping trip, which every semester serves as a chance for students of all majors and interests to observe the stars far from the light pollution of Hoboken.
The group traveled to a campsite in Wawayanda State Park, an almost 35,000 acre preserved area of North Jersey. While not completely free of light pollution, moving away from the bright lights of New York offers significant improvement in the ability to see the night sky. Last spring, SPS was also able to travel to Cherry Springs State Park, a true dark sky zone in Pennsylvania, known as one of the best places to stargaze on the East coast. Places such as Cherry Springs boast the ability to see Aurora Borealis, the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, the ISS, and hundreds of constellations.
The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) estimates that only around 10% of Americans have seen a truly dark sky, one such as Cherry Springs, that is completely free of light pollution. The IDA maintains a verified list of dark-sky communities, parks, and even urban areas that use responsible lighting methods that do not disturb stargazing. Their goal, to “protect the night” for future generations, rests in educating the public and policymakers about how to responsibly light our cities in a way that allows more people to appreciate the night sky. SPS carries this goal as well, with higher-level physics students bringing telescopes and sharing their knowledge of astronomy with the rest of the group.
Despite the clouds of this past weekend, early October usually lends itself to a great deal of skywatching. Jupiter and Saturn remain visible throughout the beginning of the month, forming a triangle with Fomalhaut, one of the brightest stars in the sky at this time. Distinguishing between planets and stars can be difficult, however stars will appear to ‘twinkle’ in the sky, whereas planets do not. This is due to the vast distance that light from stars travels, causing it to be much more affected by passing through particles in the atmosphere than the light from planets. The moon this year is also in its first quarter, a benefit to skywatching, as the light of the moon can often serve as a source of light pollution itself.
The tradition of the astronomy camping trip is a long one within SPS and one that is treasured within the club. Freshman Danny Martire says: “I had so much fun talking to people, learning about camping, and living in the moment. Not having cell service, rather than being annoying, made it even more memorable.” The club also uses the camping trip as an opportunity to spark curiosity around astronomy as a whole, as well as a chance to build a community around people who are interested in physics, no matter their major. Anastasia Pergament, the club’s president, said, “This camping trip is my favorite part of the fall semester. Every year new faces join to enjoy the beautiful fall hikes and learn about the stars from peers studying astronomy. Hopefully, everyone comes away having learned something new and having made a new friend. Those people are the ones who come back every year.”
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