Messier 33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, as photographed by astrophotographer Christopher Provost.

For people on the “look-up” for a summer activity, Bucknell University physics and astronomy professor Ned Ladd recommends people try stargazing. 

“People view astronomy as one of the cool sciences,” he said. “It is accessible because anyone can look up at the stars.” 

Ladd said the hobby has become very popular recently, especially in central Pennsylvania — where Bucknell University is located, about one hour north of Harrisburg.

Joe Southerton, an amateur astronomer, built his own telescope and observatory in his backyard. “I never get tired of looking at Saturn, or Jupiter, or the moon,” he said. “Looking at the stars gives you something to think and ponder about. It’s an instant vacation in your brain.” 

Christopher Provost claims stargazing, especially astrophotography, is one of the most spiritual activities he has ever done. 

“You get to look at objects billions of years old and made of the same elements as us,” he said. Back when he took photographs of the night sky and would give a photo 20 hours of exposure, he realizes humanity is “both tiny and a part of a huge universe in an unlikely chain of events.” 

“It really puts the world in perspective,” Southerton agreed. “If everybody in the world had a telescope, I think we have whole lot fewer wars because it makes you sort of forget the little things that bug you on earth when you start looking out at the heavens and see what’s out there and realize how massive our universe is.”

He said astronomy has the ability to make people forget their problems and connect with the history of the universe. “You are literally seeing back in history,” he explained. Using the Hercules Globular Cluster as an example, he said it takes 21,000 years for light to reach Earth, enter into our atmosphere and make contact with a telescope.

After seeing these ancient lights, Southerton loves to read about the celestial object in one of the books in his personal library. 

“This is where it starts to get really fun is when you start to read about what you see because quite frankly some or a lot of things you see in telescopes are just faint fuzzies that really isn’t that exciting until you learn what you are looking at,” he said.  

However if a person isn’t interested in the history of the sky, stargazing also offers a chance to learn about science and mythology. “There is always something going on,” he said. 

No matter what area of astronomy a person is interested by, Southerton recommends getting a basic book of constellations to get started. You can also download or buy one of the many apps for your smartphone, such as SkyGuide.

Ladd said beginners should also start with binoculars and a tripod to make sure instead of a telescope because they are easier to use and if they end up not liking stargazing, they aren’t wasting money. 

“Some people are disappointed when they look in telescopes,” Southerton said. “It doesn’t look like what you see in a book.” 

Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources suggests that beginners start by ‘star hopping,’ or “learning to identify the brightest stars, and using groups of stars to point you from one group to the next.” A guide or map will help with this, such as SkyMaps — who produce a monthly night sky map.

Both Provost and Ladd said the quality of the sky is also vital to stargazing. The professor said the amount of cosmic bodies a person can observe in the night sky is dependent on the weather. 

“It involves a lot of cursing,” he said. “You really need a dark backyard.” 

He recommends heading toward higher grounds to see better views. “Elevation, elevation, elevation. It is why some of the biggest telescopes in the world are on mountains.” 

If the local sky views aren’t satisfying, Southerton advised people visit Cherry Springs Dark Sky State Park in Potter County, Pennsylvania.

“It is the darkest site east of the Mississippi,” he said. “You can easily see 5,000 stars there.” 

Provost added that the most important of becoming an amateur astronomer is “never losing that spark of wonder you had as a child.” 

Ginader is a reporter at The (Sunbury, Pennsylvania) Daily Item.