by Jedd Ferris

Freshman year of college, I thought Astronomy 101 would be a cosmic breeze, filled with field trips to the observatory and a lot of staring at the moon. It turned out to be a bunch of head-spinning equations, and I barely escaped with a D. Fortunately the Blue Ridge night sky is here for the taking without the mathematical hubbub, and a number of groups in the region like to take advantage of our high mountain ridges for sweet stargazing sessions.

Local groups like the Asheville Astronomy Club in Western North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Astronomy Club, based in Roanoke, Va., host monthly Star Parties. The gatherings, which are always open to the public, generally take place on the Friday closest to the new moon. Dedicated gazers will sometimes stay out from dusk until dawn, getting the full scope through the earth’s nightly rotation.

The key to finding a proper location is dark skies, something that is not always easy to come by in our ever-expanding era of development and resulting light pollution.

“Sky glow from towns are our biggest problem,” says Tim Barnhill, president of the Asheville Astronomy Club. “These days gas stations are brighter at night than they are during the day.”

Spots off the Blue Ridge Parkway usually work best for the clubs-a compromise between best accessible darkness and being able to use telescopes that can’t easily be hauled into the backcountry. The Asheville club’s main meeting spot is Mount Pisgah, located at milepost 407.6.

Club members encourage newbies to come out and experience the night sky. It’s certainly not just for astronomy buffs, and members can help anyone get an easy look at planets, galaxies, and more faint deep sky nebulae. Some space treasures like the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies can be seen with the naked eye in a dark sky.

“We’re about trying to get as many people interested as possible,” says Barnhill. “It’s amazing to me how few people have even seen the Milky Way, which is completely obvious with the naked eye, but can rarely be seen in town.”

Before purchasing a telescope, Barnhill recommends starting with a pair of binoculars and checking out the book Touring the Universe through Binoculars by Phillip Harrington. Amateurs can also learn the basics by looking at a star chart.

For more information visit www.astroasheville.org or www.blueridgeastronomy.org.

Stellar Spots

Mill Ridge, N.C.-During the winter when the parkway is closed the Asheville Astronomy Club meets at the Mill Ridge observing pad, just south of Hot Springs.

Max Patch, N.C.-The vast expanse and remote locale of this grassy bald off the A.T. in the Pisgah National Forest won’t allow you to bring a heavy telescope, but it’s great place for a beginner with binoculars.

Sunset Field, Va.-The Blue Ridge Astronomy Club mainly meets at this outlook on the BRP at milepost 79, which provides a good panorama of the horizon, just north of Peaks of Otter.

Devil’s Backbone, Va.-Located off the BRP at milepost 144 near Roanoke, this rocky point offer san expansive look over the Blackwater Valley.

Blackwater Falls State Park, W.Va.-located in the Northern Allegheny Highlands, West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley Astronomical Society hosts an annual Astronomy Party at the park in the fall.

Bays Mountain Park, Tenn.-The Kingsport park hosts a regional StarFest every October.