Whether it be on sunny afternoons or starry nights, CMU’s Astronomy Club frequently takes members on educational and awe-inspiring outings. 

One of their more frequent pastimes is sun-gazing on clear afternoons. Club President Jaxon Potts said the group often goes up to the Land’s End Observatory for more casual sky-watching, or the Grand Mesa Observatory for a look at their professional set-up. They also like to organize campus watch nights, and have even held a stargazing event on the balcony of Asteria Theatre.

Potts wants the club activities to be both approachable and educating for members. One area of astronomy that many members of the club want to explore is astrophotography.

“It’s basically like just taking pictures of deep space stuff, so you can actually take pictures of nebulas and stars,” Potts said. “A lot of stuff goes into that to actually make it appear bright enough.”

Potts is a physics major, which aligns well with his passion for astronomy. Vice President Max Winnefeld is a junior biochemistry student, but he makes time for his beloved hobby.

While the club was setting up for sun-gazing on one clear fall afternoon, people who were curious about their telescopes stopped to take a look. Getting a taste of astronomy was as simple as looking through the viewfinder.

Potts was able to explain what people were looking at without even looking himself. A quick stop offered a bite of education about solar flares and sunspots.

The equipment they use is a mix of club and physics department tools. The telescopes they can cost upwards of $2000. When the club was formed in 2020, Potts said they were in the market for their own telescope and someone donated one to the club.

The Astronomy Club meets on Mondays at 2:45 p.m. in Wubben 205. There are no requirements for joining the club other than an open mind about the sky. 

“Astronomy is really fun and you don’t need to be an expert or have a deep understanding to look at the stars and find them beautiful,” Winnefeld said.