Wonders of the night sky
Astronomy club brings wonders of the universe to the public
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
RAVALLI — A green laser beam pierces the dark blue sky as it shoots from a large telescope manned by Mission Valley Astronomy Club President Leonard Lahaye. The light seems to almost pierce the twinkling white stars overhead like a straight neon green string connecting heaven to earth. Other club members operate in the dark adjusting their coordinates, their black silhouettes working silently. The faint outlines of their telescopes are barely visible at a rest area on top of Ravalli Hill.
It was in this same location, on a similar cloudless night, that Lahaye fell in love with studying and mapping the sky.
“When I was seven, my mom, dad and I were walking down Ravalli Hill during a meteor shower,” Lahaye recalled. “I asked my mom what it was and she said that every time one fell it meant someone died.”
The impressionable young boy was intrigued. Lahaye said after that he wanted to learn more about all the objects in the sky so he could figure out how to avoid his death.
Lahaye again watches the sky for another meteor shower, but this time he is far more knowledgeable. A custodian at Arlee School, Lahaye is a self-taught astronomer and has been studying the sky since he was a boy. He now knows meteor showers are quite common.
The night hangs overhead like a maze of tiny twinkling dots as Lahaye points out constellations and stars with ease.
“It’s quite simple actually,” Lahaye said. “Once you figure it out, it’s like a road map.”
The Mission Valley Astronomy Club was created in 1999 and comprises eight core members including Lahaye. The club is a member of the National Night Sky Network, which is a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs that bring the science, technology and inspiration of NASA’s missions to the public. As a member of this network, their club receives informational kits from NASA to share with the public. They also have the ability to contact NASA scientists and invite them to talk to the community.
The club hosts star parties to teach people in the community about the night sky by viewing it with them.
“You don’t need a telescope or the knowledge,” MVAC Vice-President Mike Hawkaluk said. “A lot of people read about this stuff, but we want to show them.”
Hawkaluk is also self-taught and has taken several online classes and astronomy classes at Salish Kootenai College.
He enjoys teaching others because “the best way to learn is to teach.”
“It’s still unbelievable when you see the rings of Saturn,” Hawkaluk added.
The club usually plans for a couple star parties each month in the summer but attendance varies because dates are often set and canceled according to the weather and the moon.
“The moon is nice, but it’s a pain,” Hawkaluk said as he explained complete darkness is needed to view the sky. “We also don’t like the H2O Nebula—or in other words— clouds. We hate them.”
The club is also active in the winter months and holds several informative sessions and meetings. They plan to hold a picnic in August to which the public is invited to join them in stargazing.
A few visitors stopped by in the early evening but by 1 a.m. only club members remain.
A nighthawk screeches in the dark as the occasional streak of light from Highway 93 traffic briefly illuminates club members and their telescopes. The cloudless night has allowed members to view Saturn and its rings as well as several star clusters.
Lahaye said part of the fun of astronomy was teaching himself about the night sky and now he wants to help others understand using his methods.
Lahaye said he is currently working on putting together a program to teach people how to find constellations, galaxies and stars.
“Teaching people how to locate things is the key to enjoying the night sky,” he said.
