Here is our video project on ocean acidification, done by: Mastura Mayesha, Ajmaeen Chowdhury, and Reina Huang:

Link To Poster Project: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGXfx0vjGU/7_GgFYn2bL4vMDM5J7yyEw/edit

On October 15th, I had the pleasure of attending the stargazing event at the NYC High Line. Initially, I had very limited knowledge on the High Line, having passed by it once while I was in Hudson Yards. I was under the impression that the High Line was associated with bustling city life rather than celestial observation. I’m going to be truthful, as a person who dislikes walking up steep flights of stairs, the climb to arrive at this elevated park was treacherous in the frigid weather. Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the experience. 

As I stepped onto the elevated park, I was shocked at the stark contrast between the silence on the High Line above the urban sprawl surrounding it. The event was a part of the Amateur Astronomers Association’s initiative, aimed at reconnecting the everyday New Yorker to the urbanites with the night sky. It served as a reminder of the wonders that twinkle above our often too-bright cities. Telescopes were provided, which made the atmosphere even more amateur-friendly. The High Line, with its minimalistic design, provided a unique backdrop for this astral showcase. I even had the opportunity to meet a few other students from other colleges in the city such as NYU, making the experience more enjoyable.  As we gathered, a palpable sense of excitement buzzed through the air, similar to the anticipation one might feel before a show at a planetarium, but here we were under the real night sky. It was surprising to me to see so many people in awe about stars. This should be something that I think we should all be able to see outside of our homes but can’t because of light pollution in New York City. 

Because I wasn’t completely sure about where to begin or where to look within the telescope, we were lucky enough to find a “guide” for the evening—an enthusiastic stargazer from New York City. Although he was not a real astronomer, his passion for the cosmos was as infectious as it was enlightening. I learned numerous intriguing details about both the mechanics of a telescope as well as our solar system and the broader universe. As a beginner, I found his introduction to the telescope particularly helpful. He showed us how to adjust the tripod for stability, how to calibrate the eyepiece for clear viewing, and how to use the finder scope to locate objects in the night sky before bringing them into the main lens’s view.  Although the High Line restricted our celestial observations to only the moon and visible planets, the experience was still breathtaking nonetheless. 

We began with the moon. Its surface was dramatically detailed. The friendly enthusiastic stargazer told us to keep an eye out for prominent craters such as the Tycho crater. It’s supposed to be easily recognizable even to amateur astronomers like myself. According to the enthusiastic stargazer, it is easily recognizable because it has a defined rim and a central peak, formed by the rebound of the moon’s surface following a traumatic impact. I found this crater to be very interesting because despite it not being the biggest crater on the moon, it was the most visible out of all of them. Another observation that I found to be interesting was the fact that the moon had volcanic eruptions similar to ones we have on Earth. I saw large dark areas known as maria, which are plains formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. I had no idea the Moon could experience volcanic eruptions as well, which took me by surprise. 

As for the planets, the major highlight of the night was Jupiter. The planet’s cloud bands were clearly visible, with shades of brown and beige swirling around its atmosphere. Through the telescope, we could also see Mars, which, though smaller and farther away, captivated my eye with its reddish hue. The enthusiastic stargazer told me that this was because it has rich iron-oxide soil on its surface. This made me wonder if this was a possible factor as to why scientists think life on Mars is possible. 

Overall, this communal learning experience mirrored the exchange of knowledge one might find in a science lecture, yet here it was under the open sky. As the evening concluded, I felt a sense of connection not only to the cosmos but to my fellow city dwellers who shared this experience. The High Line, which I thought was a representation of the bustling city life of NYC, proved me wrong by being the perfect observatory. To me, I saw it as a bridge between the bustling city below us and the unknown universe above us. To me, this event served as a reminder of the vastness of our universe and the small part we play within it.