Gephart serves as tour guide for excursion to the night sky
Roy Gephart
Finding something unexpected in a vast ocean of stars was what drew Roy Gephart to pursue his passion for astronomy. Gephart, a scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and an amateur astronomer, shared this passion with the public at a seminar, "Exploring the Night Sky," at the Columbia Basin College theater, September 6.
The presentation was part of the Community Science and Technology Seminar Series co-sponsored by PNNL and CBC. The series, which was launched in February, features a broad range of exciting speakers who bring alive the new, the innovative and the awe-inspiring changes taking place in our world. The series is free and open to the public.
As a child growing up in the farmlands of Ohio, Gephart spent many evenings exploring the night sky, poring over star charts and reading astronomy books. "I found it fascinating," he says. "My interest was spurred on when I looked through a telescope for the first time and saw the craters of the moon close up, and when I discovered rings around Saturn and clouds stretched across Jupiter. It was comparable to finding gold nuggets when working a stream panning for gold. It was unexpected and got me hooked on astronomy."
As a result, Gephart has been involved in science education outreach programs and activities on astronomy for many years. He co-founded the Tri-City Astronomy Club and is a board member of a non-profit organization renovating the Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory for online student science education, teacher training and research. In addition, he writes an astronomy column for the Tri-City Herald and has published numerous astronomy photographs in national magazines and books.
Gephart introduced the audience to the night sky and the earth's place in the universe, as well as what can be seen through a telescope and binoculars, the history and geology of the moon, the lifecycle of stars, and much more. He also discussed how advancements in science and technology are pushing amateur astronomy into new realms of observation and discovery.
"The night sky is both quiet and dynamic," Gephart says. "Astronomy combines the fun of sightseeing with the thrill of exploration and potential discovery. It's a hobby everyone can enjoy--from the armchair enthusiast to the hard-core researcher."
The audience had the opportunity to see several telescopes of various designs used by members of the Tri-City Astronomy Club. "We showed and explained what types of telescopes are available and how they are used," says Gephart. "If the audience gets hooked on doing stargazing, they'll have a better idea of what telescope to purchase."
The lecture series is further supported by the Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology and by the local chapter of Sigma Xi, the international honor society of scientific and engineering research.
