LOOK TO THE SKIES for Even More Beauty

by Blake Herzog

We’re so used to being surrounded by natural beauty when we’re outdoors in Greater Prescott that it’s easy for us to forget to look up to find even more — but we’re missing out if we don’t.

The relatively dark skies over our communities and our wealth of open space make this one of the best places in the state to get a good look at the cosmos, either with our naked eyes or through telescopes and binoculars.

We’re also lucky enough to be able to learn about them on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University during public programs at the Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium, the only one in Northern Arizona, as well as its observatory complex.

We can take what we learn from these resources as well as star charts, books, the internet and apps (Stellarium and Google Sky Map are a couple of good ones) under the night sky and start to plot our course through the starry seas overhead, exploring the depths of the universe and contemplating our place within it.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Where And When To Go

Most of us can get a pretty good view just from our backyards, as local ordinances have been passed to limit light pollution. That said, your views may be even more spellbinding around Thumb Butte,

Granite Basin and less-developed areas in and around Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt.

While you do have to get away from artificial light pollution for better results, you also need to consider the light coming from the moon so planning around its phases is also wise, unless that’s the main thing you want to see. And dry, clear winter nights are the best choice if you can brave the cold.

What To Bring

Besides something to sit or lie on as you scan the heavens, you may not need much, at least to start with. Beginners are often encouraged to rely on their own eyes to begin with as they get their bearings, learning where objects and constellations sit in relation to each other before trying to interpret them through the massive magnification of a telescope.

Binoculars are a good intermediate measure that can provide a striking amount of detail. You can use a red flashlight to find your way around without it short-changing your ability to adjust to low-light conditions.

More Local Resources

The Prescott Astronomy Club (www. prescottastronomyclub.com) has been around for almost 50 years and holds a number of “star parties” and other public events every year, also welcoming nonmembers to listen to speakers at their monthly meetings. Its website includes lists of suggested sky objects to observe, links to astronomy websites and other resources, archives of past speakers and many more resources.

Head to Flagstaff for a crash course in astronomy and astrophysics at Lowell Observatory (www.lowell.edu) with its four telescopes, numerous exhibits and presentations and the soon-to-open Astronomy Discovery Center featuring a rooftop “open planetarium.”

In the story, E. H. Harriman — the Bill Gates of his day — ran the Union Pacific Railway. After Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang robbed his train a few times, Harriman retaliated by forming a super posse and outfitting a train car to transport the detectives and their horses.

In the script, the fierce but unsuccessful chase to catch Butch and Sundance was portrayed in a 27-minute sequence that included stunning views through Zion National Park, Sun Canyon and St. George, Utah. Conrad L. Hall won the academy award for cinematography.