By Krestin Bahr Most of my life, I have thought that being an astronaut would be the best job in the world. This month, I have changed my mind after spending some time with some star guides. You may think that complex star gazing is an activity only for those with large pocketbooks or able to travel to observatories in many parts of the dark regions of the world, but in Eatonville, there is a secret world of astrophysics photography. The journey began humbly from the brainstorm invention of two teachers seeking to find solutions for computer grading that over time resulted in the Starry Hill Observatory in Eatonville. From their success, they give back to the community in a marvelous way. Tom and Gracie Pauley work with children from birth to 90, as Gracie says with a twinkle in her eye, and open their doors to understanding the miracles of the heavens. Eatonville schools, as well as many others, send students yearly to the Starry Hill Observatory property, where they learn that the stars in the sky are much more than lights that twinkle. They learn that the Milky Way galaxy is vast, that the constellations helped our ancestors navigate at night, and that the names of the stars have many versions (Arabic, Inuit, Latin ...). They use laser pointers to align the places where constellations are, unseen to the naked eye. But most of all, they ignite their imaginations and learn to dream the dream of children, with possibilities and wonder. Through these experiences, a few students make a shift towards learning more. Techniques such as astrophotography, engineering telescopes, and using cameras that are powerful enough to see the unseen GÇô to image the long ago, and far away. I had the opportunity to share a star party with these star guides last month on the evening of the super blood harvest full moon event. The students led the entire evening, showing their skills and knowledge that far surpassed any adult I know. I was intrigued by their level of skill and commitment and interviewed them after the party. Some of our topics for conversation were: " Who are you? Braden Henricksen, 16 years old, sophomore; Gwen Pederson, 14, freshman; John Williams, 14, freshman " How has the Starry Hill Observatory experience changed your life? John: "It gave me more experience. I want to know about engineering and I like the mechanical part of telescopes. I have learned the Apple computer through the work on the computers.GÇ¥ Braden: "It has changed my life. Instead of getting into trouble, most of the time we are at Starry Hill. I have logged over 100 hours of volunteer time hosting star parties, etc. I want to be a graphic artist. I have worked with Tom to learn the Sky ex program, which is incredibly hard to figure out. The programs control the camera and telescopes.GÇ¥ Gwen: "I love the star parties as we use the red flashlights and laser pointers. I know what I am going to say and I feel confident and important. I help people find the stars and constellations.GÇ¥ " What have you learned about the sky and about yourself? Braden: "After six years of doing this at Starry Hill, I still can't believe how much is out there. Things like super red giant stars, different galaxies and clusters. I have realized that we are one planet, yet there are hundreds of thousands of stars out there. Every time we image something different, such as the Crescent Nebula, we always find much more than we ever thought was there.GÇ¥ John: "The experience at Starry Hill is an eye opener even after two year. Every time you walk out there and think about your place in the universe, I feel awestruck. It is massive and hard to comprehend. Even if you focus long enough on the darkest point, after time you will see stars. It gives one perspective.GÇ¥ " What is the coolest thing you have ever seen or been able to do here? John: "Everything has the cool factor. The blood moon when we photographed it on that evening. It was an amazing thing.GÇ¥ Braden: "I love the nebulosity, which is the gasses around the stars. I photographed the Comet Ison, which will never be seen again, as it was sucked into our sun's gravity and destroyed. Also, I photographed the Comet Lovejoy, which is cool because we won't see it for another 88 years. Another cool opportunity was that I photographed the constellation Orion in February. It was a cold night and I used a Cannon 6D color camera. I submitted the finished photo into an international competition from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. I placed in the top 100 photos in the world in my age bracket. Next year we are all three submitting.GÇ¥ Gwen: "The super moon pictures were selected for the KOMO News selection, which was cool for us.GÇ¥ When probed as to what was next for these three astronomers, they mentioned that they would like to learn as much as they could about stars, get featured in big magazines such as National Geographic Space and to continue to take more math and science. They were all focused on volunteering and college. Their comments about their mentors, Tom and Gracie, were summed up in the statement, "If you want to do something, they will allow you to do it. It is not like work, we get to do things. They are generous with their time. They are always up for stargazing.GÇ¥ The time spent with these three outstanding Eatonville students made me think deeply about how we learn. As schools demand more of their graduates, more so than in any time of our history, we are reminded that it is the journey of learning and becoming that sets children up for success in this world. To look outside of themselves, to give back to community, and to care about others GÇô these are things that are not tested on any standardized test. May we always remember that we are part of a glorious collection of stars. Thank you to all who are star guides for the children that they love and serve. That we remember what it feels like to be in awe. Thank you to the Tom and Gracies of the world. You make this a better place for children to be.
Krestin Bahr is superintendent of the Eatonville School District.
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