Space: It’s so hot right now! And not just because an overly polished version of the final frontier is here in the latest “Star Trek.” Our earthly interest in the cosmos is having a huge moment —from Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump from the edge of space, and the Mars rover sending back the coolest selfies in the universe, to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield’s turn as space entertainer-in-chief (he did a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” on video recorded in actual space).
Upcoming celestial special events don’t include any close encounters with asteroids or meteors, as we had in February, but there are a couple that make it worth getting behind a telescope.
When a celestial body passes by another, it’s called a conjunction. During the last week of May, you can witness a “grand” conjunction that will feature Venus, Jupiter and Mercury doing a do-si-do.
“You have three planets for the price of one,” says Joe Rao, associate at the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. “It’ll be an interesting little planetary aerobics, so to speak.”
To see it, look low in the west-to-northwest sky about 45 minutes to an hour after sundown; make a fist, and hold it out as far as it can go on the horizon. The top of it will be where you can expect to see the planets. May 24 and June 12 are great nights for outdoor romance (and maybe a bad night for anyone with a fear of werewolves). May and June bring us the two biggest full moons of the year. How big? It will appear seven percent larger than usual.
Here’s where to check out the best stargazing in and around NYC . . .
The Amateur Astronomers Association is a group of die-hard hobbyists — your friendly neighborhood guides to the stars. The organization brings out telescopes big and small for any curious gazers or passers-by to use, and they do it as often as four times a week, when the weather cooperates. Their most popular spot is on the High Line, where the group sets up at the 14th Street entrance with telescopes pointed west.
The observing starts even before sundown, when specially filtered scopes can look at the sun; on a recent outing, volunteer Tom Haeberle pointed out sunspots that are larger than Earth, and solar flares flitting out from the edges. Then the lights go down, and Haeberle addresses the crowd on the next treat: Venus, a bright point in the sky, is the first to appear above the horizon.
“It’s a nice dark night,” says volunteer and 20-year hobbyist Carey Horwitz. The crowd is a mix of enthusiasts and tourists — and couples on dates. “You can tell the people on dates because the guy always lets the woman look first.”
People are constantly surprised at how clear a picture you can get from parts of the light-saturated metropolis.
“Certainly a lot of people don’t expect to see craters [on the moon] from Manhattan,” association president Marcelo Cabrera says. “And you do see them.”
Catch the group today at Inwood Hill Park, Tuesday at the High Line, and many more days throughout the summer. See the full schedule at aaa.org.
On June 1, head to Brooklyn Bridge Park for one of the summer’s prettiest viewing locations. As part of the World Science Festival (running May 29 to June 2), astronomers set up telescopes and throw an outdoor party with a DJ, food trucks and wine vendors at the base of the bridge. A domed tent will have a projection theater featuring asteroids, the solar system and future space technologies that could be used for humans to colonize the moon or beyond.
Post-festival, on Thursdays, June 13 to Sept. 26, the Amateur Astronomers Association hosts more free public viewings at the same park.
For those who don’t fear going deep into that final frontier that is the suburbs, travel to meet the Westchester Amateur Astronomers, who gather monthly in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY. The outings — catch them June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3 — give just a bit more perspective on the vast night sky than we get in the city.
“The skies are much darker up here than down there,” club spokesman David Parmet says. “When we gather at Ward Pound Ridge, people are looking at planets, looking at galaxies — you can see a lot.” For more info, visit: westchesterastronomers.org.
And keep this in mind for the fall: The Columbia University Astronomy Public Outreach, at its Morningside campus, sets up telescopes on its roof during the school year, but in the summer it holds sci-fi movie screenings, as well as discussions on science fiction versus science fact.
And the association offers guidance for wannabe astronomers, some of it pretty simple: Look up. “There’s a fair amount you can see if you’re just walking along the streets,” says Summer Ash, director of outreach for Columbia University’s Department of Astronomy. To see the schedule of events, go to outreach.astro.columbia.edu.
If you’re afraid of the great outdoors or the humidity, try Hayden Planetarium. Every half-hour, all day long, you can view the program inside the planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, a cooly air-conditioned cozy alternative to the actual cosmos. The current show, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, looks at the creation of the sun and its eventual future (spoiler: It dies at the end). The program is short but immersive, with the ground shaking for every star explosion. After that, check out the Big Bang room for a four-minute history of the start of the universe narrated by Liam Neeson. Tickets to the museum (which includes the planetarium) are $25.
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Reach for the Apps
Summer Ash, director of outreach for Columbia’s Department of Astronomy, recommends these smartphone apps to enhance your twilight zones.
Quicksky: Has a chart displaying what time planets rise and in which portion of the sky. Another feature shows you which moons of Jupiter or Saturn you’re looking at. Free.
Star Walk: One of the coolest science toys out there, this GPS-powered app places the whole cosmos in the palm of your hand. Just hold it up to the sky for a real-time guide to the stars, constellations, satellites and other heavenly bodies above you. A search feature points you in the direction of specific constellations, too. $2.99
Skyguide: The app renders beautiful views of the night sky, complete with celestial bodies, nebulae and constellations, using 37,000 real photos. A search feature points you in the direction of any object you want to find, with detailed information on each. 99 cents.
Buy your own telescope?
By now you’re amped up to go exploring the skies yourself and want to buy your own telescope. But Amateur Astronomers Association president Marcelo Cabrera says most telescopes end up stashed under a bed, collecting dust. “Don’t buy a telescope unless you really want to go out and take a look at the sky three to four times a year,” he says.
With so many free chances to stargaze through professional scopes, save the money and go be social instead, he says.
If you do want to buy one, Ash of Columbia recommends a “point-and-shoot” nonmotorized scope, such as the Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope, which retails for $199.99.
Still, don’t underestimate the low-tech approach.
“It’s kind of amazing what you can see with a good pair of binoculars and a chart,” Ash says.