Pining for dark skies?
Get under the stars @ Observatory Park
Nothing beats a romantic evening out with your sweetie. Here’s a longtime romantic favorite: On a dark clear night, get close together and gaze upward at the stars. Can you find constellations like Ursa Major (Big Dipper), Cassiopeia, Andromeda, or Orion? How about planet Venus or the International Space Station? Depends on what time of year and how much light pollution is present. Along with more home developments, office buildings, and shopping centers comes a significant increase in lighting which diminishes the view of the beautiful night sky.
Observatory Park, located at 10610 Clay Street in Montville Township, is the place to take your “squeeze.” A uniquely dark location where it is easy to view the stars, this Park encompasses 1,100+ acres in the Geauga Park District. With full status as a designated International Dark Sky Park, it recently opened Sat 8/20 in conjunction with the Park’s 50th anniversary celebration. Promoting stewardship of the night sky, the International Dark Sky Association’s mission is to protect the night sky against light pollution for future generations.
Observatory Park is the eighth International Dark Sky Park in the world and one of just over a dozen to earn the prestigious IDSPlace distinction. This is a great place for families, children, and sweeties to go see the stars and learn about the astronomy in our incredible solar system.
Tom Curtin, Director of the Geauga Park District, said, “We have seen a huge demand for astronomy programs. This dark park and surrounding exhibits will boost our ability to assist school science programs and content. And the east branch of the Cuyahoga River originates out here. We were able to preserve the headwaters and maintain the integrity of the watershed for this project,” he added. The entire Park is funded by philanthropic dollars.
The history of Observatory Park dates back to the early 1950s when property on Clay Street in Montville Township was identified as a suitable site for the Nassau Astronomical Station. In 1957, due to increasing light pollution, the “Burrell Schmidt-type” telescope housed at the Warner & Swasey Observatory located on Taylor Road in East Cleveland was moved out to Montville to the newly built Nassau Astronomical Station.
In 1979, this “Burrell Schmidt-type” telescope was moved to Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. In 1980, a 36-inch Cassegrain telescope was moved from the Warner & Swasey Observatory in East Cleveland to the Nassau Station at Observatory Park. This telescope had been used primarily for educational purposes. It was more suitable for visual observing and public demonstrations. The optical design or “speed” of the 36-inch reflector made it less sensitive to light pollution. Presently, this telescope needs refurbishing and is not operational. However, it is included in future plans for public stargazing.
The Park now has two telescopes, one donated by the Norm Oberle family and one from the Nassau Station. The Oberle Observatory houses the 25.5-inch mirror Newtonian Reflector Telescope which visitors can look through to view the stars. Astronomy enthusiasts can also bring their own telescopes to five outdoor pads with electrical outlets at the Park to look overhead at the glittering night sky.
A seismograph station for geology research and a meteorology station for weather study will be located at the Park. A Human Sun Dial is constructed in the entryway of the outdoor courtyard. An outdoor one-mile Planetary Trail is being designed and built offering the adventure of an imaginary stroll across the solar system with planets spaced to convey relative distances from the sun and each other. Everywhere you look, the educational opportunities abound.
There are plans for an Observatory Park Grand Opening in spring 2012.
For more information, visit http://GeaugaParkDistrict.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul, who says the act of writing is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The challenge lies in getting the pieces to fit together and make sense.
Montville, OH 44064