An Amateur Astronomer's Life
May 2006 :
I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 17, 1953. In 1959 my father’s job change moved our family to Warwick, Rhode Island, where I attended grades one through five (1959-1964) at John Greene School.
It was in the fourth grade (1962-1963) that I recall being introduced to astronomy for the first time. A class play about the solar system was presented to the entire student body. I was chosen to portray the Sun in this production. Two short years later, after our family moved to North Smithfield, Rhode Island, my sixth grade class (1964-1965) presented the same play. This time I portrayed the professor astronomer.
During my adolescent life the US space program was in full swing. Though I do not remember Sputnik, I do remember going out after sunset to watch Echo I (launched August 12, 1960; a high altitude aluminized balloon, 100 feet in diameter) and Telstar I (launched July 10, 1962; a true satellite) traverse the sky. I was also very interested in watching the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.
However, I do not attribute my early interest in astronomy to the space program as many of my contemporaries do. Two books played an key role in my desire to learn about the universe. While still in the sixth grade, one of the first books I ever purchased was H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. I couldn’t put the book down. I was fascinated by the idea that life could exist out there among the stars. I had only a rudimentary knowledge of astronomy, but I did know that the stars were suns somewhat like our own Sun, and that planets may possibly surround many of them. Wells sparked that interest in me about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. I also became an avid science fiction reader.
At the same I purchased another book, Flying Saucers: Serious Business, by Frank Edwards. This work discussed many of the “classic” flying saucer sightings and offered the author’s opinion on their validity. I wanted to believe that our Earth was not the only inhabited world in the cosmos, but I did know that the distances to even the closest stars would take an inordinate amount of time to traverse given the laws of physics.
Still, I would often venture outdoors and look towards the heavens and wonder if that star, or that one over there, possessed a system of planets. And possibly one or many of them were inhabited by advanced beings. At first my observing was random, but then I purchased a planisphere and began to learn the constellations.
The first real astronomical observation I recall was probably on the night of March 23, 1969 when the television news reported a display of the northern lights in progress. I remember going outdoors and looking to the northeast sky to see these undulating waves of greenish light brighten and fade repeatedly. It was quite a beautiful sight.
The second astronomical observation I made came in 1970. I remember observing a partial solar eclipse one Saturday afternoon from my grandmother’s front porch steps in Providence, rashly using nothing more than a couple of pair of sunglasses and “sneaking” a few quick glimpses from time to time. This was the March 7, 1970 solar eclipse that was total over the island of Nantucket.
One week after high school graduation in 1971, I attended a one-year business school for computer programming and accounting. Even before graduating from this program, I got a part-time job as a computer operator at Ann & Hope in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Soon thereafter, with a few dollars in my pocket, I purchased a 6-inch Edmund Scientific reflector sometime during the summer of 1972. Armed only with a copy of the Farmers’ Almanac, I could easily locate Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, as well as the Moon.
Without knowing better, I even used a green plastic solar filter for observing the December 1972 partial solar eclipse from my yard in North Smithfield. When I moved the telescope off the Sun to change eyepieces, the filter shattered when it was exposed to the cold air!
At the end of 1974 I finally paid a visit to Seagrave Observatory during one of the society’s public open nights. I was so impressed with the knowledge of the volunteer (Mike Passano) that evening that I applied for membership at the December 1974 monthly meeting, and was voted into membership at the January 1975 meeting.
It didn’t take long for me to integrate into this outstanding group of individuals. The Skyscrapers renaissance was underway. The first Skyscraper newsletter was hot off the press, and the portable planetarium project was being planned. It was a busy time for the organization. I helped out when I could, but a second shift job prevented me from many weekday events. However, every weekend you would find me out at Seagrave ready to help with the upkeep of the grounds and buildings, as well as to show the wonders of the heavens through our 8¼-inch Alvan Clark refractor during our Saturday public nights. Between January and March 1976, I made one of the best purchases of my astronomical life. I bought a Criterion RV-6 and a 4¼-inch f/5 reflector from Skyscrapers member Dan Lorraine for $250. It was money well spent. I still own these two instruments today. The 4¼-inch, with a superb Ed Turco mirror, has been on many eclipse expeditions.
I soon tired of dragging this telescope in and out of my apartment in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. So starting in the summer of 1976 several Skyscrapers members helped me to clear some land so I could build a 12-foot by 12-foot two story roll-off roof observatory to house my Criterion RV-6 reflector. Construction soon began and was completely finished in 1978 with the addition of the second floor. I hosted many star parties at that property from 1977 to May of 1982.
My interest soon turned to solar observing (some Skyscrapers members joked that it was the only celestial object I could find!). And that discipline quickly lead to my fascination with observing aurora. In 1978 I founded the Aurora Alert Hotline, a telephone tree of observers who would call one another when an aurora was sighted. At one time over 150 individuals participated, including a park ranger out in Yellowstone! The Hotline was successful for many years. Though it was still “active” in more recent years under the direction of Steve Mock of the ATMs of Boston, the advent of the internet and the availability of real-time data, which has allowed folks to be more proactive, has contributed to its demise.
I still love to view and photograph aurora displays, though at this writing I have not upgraded to a digital camera for this activity. One of my aurora images appeared in the July 1978 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. That same image was selected by Kelly Beatty, et al, for inclusion in The New Solar System book, the first (1981) and second (1982) editions. That exposure led me to have two aurora images, plus a couple of quotes, appear in a sky phenomenon book entitled Sunsets, Twilights and Evening Skies by Aden and Majorie Meinel of Arizona in 1983.
During the late 1970s, while I was working a second shift job, I used to provide planetarium programs in the afternoon in the Cormack Planetarium at the Roger Williams Park Museum. I particularly recall being chastised by a teacher, who had brought in a group of students, for being a native Rhode Islander (one of the astronomical objects mentioned during the show was Satin [sic]!).
Over the years I had observed several partial solar eclipses. But in February 1979, I had the opportunity to travel to Gimli, Manitoba with a group of Skyscrapers (see group photo elsewhere in this book) and members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) of Toronto to view my first total solar eclipse (February 26, 1979). It was so awe inspiring that I had tears in my eyes when totality ended. And that wasn’t a good thing, for the temperature during totality had dropped from +12 degrees Fahrenheit down to zero 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only did my tears freeze, but my camera advance froze just after I snapped a picture of the diamond ring at the end of totality.
I was definitely bitten by the eclipse bug. I was so impressed with the Manitoba eclipse that I quickly vowed to see the next one, just less than a year away. Well, the next one would be a little more challenging than just booking a flight to Toronto. The February 16, 1980 total solar eclipse would be best seen from Tanzania in East Africa. Walter Mudgett of the ATMs of Boston organized an eclipse/safari expedition. Walter Smith, a new member of Skyscrapers at the time, decided to join this two-week adventure as well.
This trip was an experience of a lifetime. I never would have had this opportunity to visit East Africa had it not been for my interest in astronomy and eclipses. It wasn’t until about mid way through the two week adventure, while I was standing in Olduvai Gorge, that it finally registered in my psyche where I was. I was excited to visit many of the places I had read about as a child in geography class, like the Serengeti Plain, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro, just to name a few. And the wildlife was outstanding. Lions and cheetahs and giraffes, oh my!
And to top it off, a small band of clouds completely melted away as the temperature dropped just before totality. So we observed this unique phenomenon in all its glory. We even didn’t mind the armed guards who stood watch during totality should any of the local lion population get the wrong idea.
At the end of May, 1982, I moved to a small cottage on Ponagansett Reservoir in Glocester, Rhode Island. This location provided some nice dark skies. Many trees did make it difficult to observe from the property, but often I would take my canoe out onto the lake and just stargaze without optical aid. During a few of the very cold winters I spent there, the lake would freeze up solid. Occasionally I would set up my telescope on its frozen surface many yards from shore to get a better view of the dark sky. One night an extremely loud safety crack a few feet away ended that practice.
In March 1983, I met Tina Pala at the Lowell Lecture Series at the Museum of Science in Boston. She helped coordinate the series with then Hayden Planetarium director Jack Carr. Tina also presented planetarium shows, and also wrote one of their most popular programs on the cataclysmic demise of the dinosaurs by an asteroid.
A small band of Skyscrapers journeyed to Greenville, South Carolina in May 1984 for an annular solar eclipse. This group accurately positioned itself on the centerline and witnessed a maximum of ten seconds of annularity. See more details on this eclipse expedition elsewhere in this book.
I proposed to Tina on her birthday on October 16, 1984. Just over a year later we were married on October 26, 1985 on Cape Cod. Many close Skyscrapers attended our wedding ceremony and reception, and still comment about it to this day.
As you may recall, Halley’s Comet was slowly making its way towards the Sun. I had already seen it at about 13th magnitude using the society’s 14-inch Dobsonian reflector one evening in September with member Steve Siok. I knew I would be able to see Halley during our honeymoon from Key West, so I brought along my RV-6 reflector. Sure enough, from the Southernmost Hotel, I convinced the management to turn off the outdoor lights so I could get a glimpse of Halley once again. We had even posted a notice on the premises that guests were welcome to view the comet as well.
See some of the details about the public outreach Skyscrapers did accomplish in Rhode Island concerning Halley’s visibility during the late fall and early winter of 1985-86 elsewhere in this book.
In April 1986 we booked a trip with the ATMs of Boston for a week of Halley Comet viewing, and diving and snorkeling, from the island of Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles. Several Skyscrapers members attended as well. The weather was perfect. The snorkeling was fantastic. The skies from one part of the island were absolutely superb. When a cloud passed in front of the starry background, the cloud was silhouetted by the light from the stars. We also got a great look at Omega Centauri.
Oh, Halley was visible, but as far as I’m concerned, Omega Centauri was more impressive. You see, Halley had a tail disconnection event occur just before we arrived. A new tail was just forming, but it was not what we had expected. The locals kept on telling us, “You should have been here last week!” Fortunately the view of the fish and coral under the calm sea compensated for Halley’s disappointing appearance.
In 1991, members of Skyscrapers and the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH) (specifically Brian Magaw and Scott Tracy) planned an eclipse expedition to Hawaii for the July 11 event. Though we were clouded out, we all had a great time exploring this tropical paradise. See details about this expedition elsewhere in this book.
Since 1991, with the help of various members of the executive committee, I have written three successful grant proposals to the Champlin Foundations for a total of $59,029. These grants helped the society make much needed renovations to our buildings, as well as to purchase the 16-inch Meade LX200.
Because of my interest in aurorae, in 1992 the editors of Sky & Telescope magazine asked me to review a book by Neil Bone called The Aurora: Sun-Earth Interactions. My review appeared in the November 1992 issue (page 524). Only a few months later I was fortunate to be asked to review yet another new work on the same topic. The February 1993 issue (page 52) contains my review of geophysicist Neil Davis’ The Aurora Watcher’s Handbook.
On May 11, 1994, several Skyscrapers members (Steve, Kathy and Chet Siok; Linda Bergemann; and Bill and Ruth Gucfa) joined Tina and myself at our timeshare at Attitash Village in New Hampshire. This location was just north of the centerline for an annual solar eclipse. The partial phases before annularity were cloud-free, but thick clouds blocked almost all of the annular phase. We did manage a few seconds’ glimpse at one point when the clouds thinned. They acted as a filter, so our movie and video cameras managed to capture some views.
I am proud to note that I have served three two-year terms as president during the last 32 years: 1982-1984, 1991-1993, and 2005-2007. During that time I have also served as secretary, and have held the office of first vice-president and second vice-president several times. I have also been the Skyscrapers historian: 1984-1986 and 1998-present.
Among my other accomplishments: since 1985 I have written a feature column for The Woonsocket Call entitled Ask the Astronomer, and, since the mid-70s, have supplied the local media (newspapers, radio and television meteorologists) with news of upcoming astronomical events. I have also had semi-regular features in The Observer (now The Valley Breeze-Observer), The Kent County Daily Times, Northwest Neighbors and The Narragansett Times, with occasional mention in The Providence Journal.
I have also participated in many taped and on-air interviews with the local television stations to promote interest in observing astronomical events such as solar and lunar eclipses, meteor showers, northern lights displays and close encounters with Mars.
I derive the most satisfaction from public outreach when thousands of people are enlightened to sky happenings they can observe with little or no optical aid. At the same, I also promote Skyscrapers at every opportunity. And when I personally participate in a public outreach program that involves showing the wonders of the heavens to students of any age, I am on a euphoric high for days.
Why? I hope that possibly one student in a large group might get turned on to astronomy and space science. If they follow their dreams, one of those young people may become the first human to set foot upon Mars! That would be quite gratifying.
Throughout the years I have provided astronomy programs for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. In addition, for a decade I taught a “Telescopic Astronomy” course at the Boston Museum of Science, ending in 1995. That same year I also completed my seventh year teaching a mini-course on “How to Choose a Telescope.”
Due to some encouragement from my good friend and kindred spirit, Skyscraper member and past historian Bill Gucfa, I became fascinated with not only the history of Skyscrapers, but also that of Frank Seagrave. With only a few faded copies of early newspaper articles about Frank Seagrave to guide me, I began to research this fascinating “amateur” astronomer. One of my proudest moments as a Skyscrapers member was back in 1986, when my article entitled “Stardust Memories: Frank Evans Seagrave and Halley’s Comet - 1910,” was published in the May 1986 issue of The Rhode Island History Journal. This article told the story of Seagrave’s Halley Comet calculation, predictions, observations and advice to a concerned public.
And more recently, I have discovered evidence of a keen friendship between Seagrave and Percival Lowell. I hope to pursue further research on that topic at a later date. In conclusion, I wish to express my wishes to all Skyscrapers members for a happy 75th anniversary celebration. And many thanks for allowing me the privilege to contribute to the Skyscrapers organization during these last 32 years.
What will the next 25 years bring? I have no doubt in my mind that this great organization will be around to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
So a note to future Skyscrapers members: if you are volunteering on some wintery Saturday public night 25 years from now, and a 79 year-old man sporting only a flannel shirt for warmth seems to know more about the Clark telescope and its history than you do, please invite him to take yet another look through that wonderful instrument. For that one glance will bring back all the memories of nights long past and will provide him more warmth than any winter coat could ever accomplish.
