BRENT B. WOODSO
Vast tracks of sparsely populated land make Utah one of the finest areas in the country for amateur stargazers, said Kendall Farnsworth, Snow Canyon park ranger.
“Each year, I see more and more people out with telescope in hand, looking to the stars,” Farnsworth said. “People are curious as to what is out there.”
Hansen Planetarium’s resident expert, Patrick Wiggins, confirmed Farnsworth’s claim, stating, “Utah’s winters are just about perfect for stargazing, the skies are clearer and darker — earlier. And there has been a recent resurgence of interest in stargazing … .”
“There’s a lot to see out there right now. If you look under the handle of the Big Dipper, actually called Ursa Major or the Big Bear, with a telescope, you will see the comet Tabur.”
“This comet is the precursor to the comet Hale-Bopp, the comet many astronomers feel has the potential of being the comet of the millennium,” Wiggins said. “Many feel that Hale-Bopp may sport a tail spanning the entire horizon. Comets are unpredictable though; it may end up doing nothing.”
When you are next gazing at the stars, look closely for a “fuzzy looking light” near Orion the Hunter’s belt, Wiggins said. This is not a star, but a Nebula called Messier 42.
“This is the actual birth or creation of a star,” Wiggins said.
Roy Oomen, a senior majoring in economics and philosophy, said you don’t have to be a professional to enjoy the boundless skies.
“I was always sort of interested in the stars, but after taking an astronomy class at school and learning more, I have been able to enjoy it even more than before.”
Oomen said that most recently, he was able to see the multiple moons of Mars from the top of the Kimball Tower.
