Friends from Orderville, Kanab, and Fredonia gathered on Wednesday, January 14, at the Fredonia Public Library for an exciting evening focused on the science of light. Eric and Michael from Stellar Vista Observatory led the event, sharing their knowledge in a presentation designed for youth but interesting enough to engage both children and adults.

During the session, we explored the spectrum of colors present in different types of light. Eric provided special cards that allowed us to see the light in unique ways, and we experimented by looking through these cards at various bulbs that Michael had brought from home. The kids learned how to graph and compare the presence of different colors and described the appearance of the bands of light they observed.

As the night progressed, we moved outside to measure the light in the night sky from various spots around the parking lot. We learned that these measurements can help determine the health of the night sky. Not only is it beautiful to see a starry sky, but a healthy night sky is essential for many animals.

The darkest spot we measured registered just over 20 on the scale, where the darkest possible measurement is 23—so we’re doing quite well! We ended the evening by viewing Saturn and Orion’s Belt through telescopes while enjoying a cup of hot cocoa.

A big thank you to Stellar Vista Observatory for providing such a fun and educational experience. We will host this event again on February 12 at 6 p.m., and we hope you will join us!
https://www.sunews.net/post/seeing-stars-with-stellar-vista-at-fredonia-public-library