The Tallahassee Astronomical Society held their free annual workshop “Finding Objects in the Sky,” on Monday.
Many gathered at the Challenger Learning Center from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to learn about the different constellations and how to identify them with different tools.
Ken Kopczynski, President of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, stated that the event is a great way to simply gain knowledge on the different types of ways to identify objects in the sky.
“A telescope is not the only tool you can use to view the sky,” said Kopczynski. “At this workshop, we use star charts, telescopes and maps to identify the different stars and where different planets are located in relation to the stars.
Kopczynski then went on to talk about how today’s telescopes can hinder someone from truly learning about the sky.
“Many of the modern day telescopes have ‘Go-to’s’,” said Kopczynski. “All you do is plug in an object and the telescope will adjust to the object. It is easy and cool but it hinders people from really learning about the sky.”
The Tallahassee Astronomical Society makes this workshop available to anyone who has a passion for astronomy and who has recently acquired a telescope.
Isaiah Taylor, a Tallahassee Community College from Tallahassee, FL, talked about how much he loves the event and that he looks forward to attending next year.
“This is my second time attending this event and every year it gets better,” said Taylor. “I absolutely love this event. I have been a part of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society for a few years and I have learned so much. Anyone who loves learning about the sky should come to this event.”
Kayce Morton, a Florida State University employee, said that being apart of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society has a personal effect on her life.
“I absolutely love it,” said Morton. Being a part of this union has really changed the way that I view the world completely. I started out doing this as a complete amateur, caught the bug and this has been a part of my life ever since. If it had not been for the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, I would not take the time to really appreciate the world that we live in like I do now.”
If you are interested in joining the Tallahassee Astronomical Society or need more information about this event, please call 850-980-0887 or visit www.stargazers.org