Mid City Times

Your Fort Worth Public Library card can’t catapult you into space, but it can help you experience magnified views of objects in the sky. Telescopes are part of new stargazing kits now available for checkout.

For Bruce Campbell, it was a book that first sparked a love of stargazing. “When I was 5, my parents opened a savings account for me,” he said. “The savings and loan gave me a guide to space exploration detailing the solar system, satellites, meteors and comets. I was hooked.”

It wasn’t until several decades later that he bought a telescope. “The more I learned about night sky the more objects I wanted to see with my scope,” he said.

Campbell is president of the Fort Worth Astronomical Society (FWAS), a group of dedicated amateur astronomers who meet monthly to focus on specific astronomical topics. The group also cohosts regular Prairie Sky/Star Party events in the warmer months at the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

“These events are scheduled on Saturdays when the night sky is interesting,” Campbell said. “People who arrive before sunset can watch the telescopes being set up and engage the FWAS amateur astronomers in a wide range of astronomy topics.” Guests, he said, are welcome to bring their own telescopes and questions as FWAS’s goal is to help you get the most out of your telescope.

Kathryn King, who manages the Library’s Collection Management, said there are several ways kits and other items are added to the catalog. “The digitizing memory kit came out of hearing commercials for companies that digitize memories,” King said. “I had bought a scanner for personal use and after seeing how easy it was to use thought there might be interest for the library.”

There was an existing public interest in telescopes, she said, and a member of FWAS reached out to ask about a loaner telescope program. That contact helped her decide what type of telescopes to add to the catalog.

There is a learning curve when it comes to figuring out what to look for and how to use viewing equipment. The Library’s stargazing kits come with a telescope, eyepiece, moon filter, air blower, star locator, red-lens flashlight, instruction manual and two books.

“Stargazing can be fun and exciting, but there’s much to learn and understand,” Campbell said. “Don’t get frustrated because the telescope is not performing as expected or certain astronomical concepts just don’t make sense. Use the internet to find answers to your questions. You’re also welcome to bring your questions to a meeting of FWAS.”

He has a few other tips for beginners, including one that was often repeated leading up to the April 8 total eclipse that could be seen in Fort Worth: never look directly at the sun without a solar filter.

What’s next: From there, Campbell said a planet or two is also visible most nights.

Ultimately, when it comes to actual stargazing focusing on brighter stars in constellations – particularly in light-polluted DFW – can be rewarding; and a guide can provide insights. Many of the 88 "official" constellations are visible from Fort Worth," he said.