More than 900 people huddled around telescopes to gaze at Jupiter, Orion’s Belt and countless other celestial bodies in Saturday night’s dark sky.
The Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc., held a Star Party at Hickory Ranch on the east side of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.
Members of the club set up telescopes and provided commentary on the cosmos to stargazers.
Star Parties offer beginners a chance to become acquainted with the sky and learn about telescopes before purchasing their own, according to the Alachua Astronomy Club website.
The event featured hayrides and a roaring bonfire, complete with s’mores and hot chocolate.
Steven Whitaker, who has been an astronomy club member for about three months, used a new telescope he received for Christmas to show Orion’s Belt to spectators.
“I’ve been looking at stars since I was a little kid,” Whitaker said.
While many club members live in Gainesville, the Alachua Astronomy Club attracts members from outside of the county who drive in for meetings and events.
Tandy Carter, of Lake City, has been a member for 14 years. Carter pointed out the nebula surrounding Orion’s Belt while giving bystanders a lesson about Jupiter and its moons.
“I love telling the story of how Galileo discovered the four moons and how that changed not only how we look at the universe but our position in the universe,” he said.
Carter uses a Meade LX200-ACF Schmidt-Cassegrain. The telescope has a feature that allows its user to zero in on a specific star or planet and then follow it as it slowly cruises across the sky.
Aubrey Primer, a 20-year-old UF public relations junior, said she enjoyed her first Star Party.
“Seeing Jupiter and the nebula around Orion’s Belt was really cool,” she said. “I had no idea you could see this many stars in Gainesville.”
