LOOKING UP

Stargazing with the Escambia Amateur Astronomy Association

By Jenny Diamond

No one who lives in our area can deny the beauty of the sun setting over the bay or how awe-inspiring it can be to see a full moon rising over the Gulf. Humans have always been fascinated with the celestial bodies above us. We look to the sky to see beauty, to understand our own lives, to predict the future and even to search for the possibility of life outside of our own planet.

For those new to astronomy, it can be intimidating to know which equipment to use and how to make sense of what you’re seeing, but one local group aims to make astronomy accessible to all.

The Escambia Amateur Astronomy Association (EAAA) is a member of the Astronomical League, which is an umbrella organization of amateur astronomy groups currently consisting of more than 300 groups nationwide.

The EAAA has been around in some form since the 1960s, when a few small groups of local high schoolers merged and began holding astronomy events together. The club was inactive for many years as some of its initial members left the area to attend college, but was revived in the 1970s by Robert Blake.

Like the moon itself, the club’s membership has waxed and waned over the years, with about twenty duespaying members in its early years. While membership grew to around 150 dues-paying members during the time of Halley's Comet in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the club currently has around 70 regular members. However, the group’s Facebook page has more than 4,000 members worldwide who regularly share their outings and photographs, along with descriptions of what the photos entail and information on the equipment they used.

In addition to sharing beautiful, telescoped photographs among members, the group’s main focus is to get people outside viewing the skies, and everyone is welcome–from “novice to super space nerd.” To that end, the group hosts regular stargazing events at various locations around our area, namely the Casino Beach pavilion, Big Lagoon State Park and the large field just off Langley Avenue adjacent to the Pensacola International Airport Blvd.

The stargazing events are dependent on the weather, of course, but clouds and rain aside, gazes usually begin in the late afternoon shortly before sunset. Dr. Wayne Wooten, one of the founding members and a current group facilitator, notes that there is a core group of about ten people who are dedicated to setting up telescopes for gazes. At the Casino Beach events, the group’s gazes usually draw crowds of around 200 to 300 people, and the gazes at Big Lagoon draw smaller crowds of around 50 people. Before sunset, the telescopes are set up to allow attendees to view the sun and solar flares. Once the sun sets and the moon rises, telescopes will be set to the moon, various constellations and visible planets. The telescopes set up for public gazes aren’t the typical telescopes with a single eye-piece that can only be used by one person at a time; rather, these digital telescopes allow viewers to connect their smartphones via Bluetooth, so many attendees are able to view telescoped images at once. Viewers can zoom in and out, take photographs and link to astronomy apps like Nocturne, which helps identify constellations and details their mythological origins.

“You’re walking around with an astronomical observatory in your pocket,” Dr. Wooten noted. “When we set up at the beach, we’re able to get views of the Milky Way over the Gulf, where there is no light pollution to the south. In an hour or two of gazing, you’ll go home with pictures of nebulas, galaxies, planets, globular clusters.”

EAAA members distribute star charts to help viewers understand what they’re seeing, and each gaze has a dedicated Sky Interpreter, who helps explain the technology, the visible features, and generally helps guide viewers. Over the winter, regularly scheduled gazes will take place exclusively at Big Lagoon, which does have a small entrance fee, but on clear nights with good viewing potential, Dr. Wooten is likely to announce an impromptu gaze at the field adjacent to the airport at the intersection of Langley Ave. and McAllister Ave. Nicknamed the Starlight Drive-In Theater, the field provides a centrally located opportunity for viewers to gather and connect to the telescopes from the comfort of their own cars.

In addition to the EAAA, those who are interested in learning more about astronomy should visit the Pensacola State College Planetarium and Space Theater, where small groups can schedule viewings of a number of current films, all related to science and or astronomy. Additionally, there are public viewings on the first Friday of each month for $6/attendee; these showings usually fill up, leaving standing room only.

The next showing will be September 6 at 6 pm, featuring the film Death of the Dinosaurs followed by a live night sky narration hosted by Planetarium Specialist Allison Spradlin. For Dr. Wooten, these Planetarium shows are not only valuable for the local community, but also hold personal value given his late wife Merry’s dedication to the Planetarium; she hosted Planetarium shows for twelve years. After her death in 2021, the Merry Edenton-Wooten Endowed Chair for Space Sciences was established to support Spradlin’s position. In addition, the Planetarium’s lobby is named the Merry Edenton-Wooten Foyer and features Merry’s artwork.

Though Wooten has been teaching college astronomy classes since the 1970s and is highly published in the field, he notes the absolute potential and importance of continuing to invest in new generations of amateur astronomers.

“Intelligence is important. We try to involve whole families, especially kids. Every kid dreams about being an astronaut. The best way to combat anti-science emphasis is to show people what science is, how it works, how much fun it is, how it can be a career, how it can be a hobby and how it can widen our horizons,” Wooten said.

Those interested in attending the upcoming stargazing events can view the EAAA’s Facebook page for more information and the calendar of scheduled gazes.