Whitecourt got a good look at the night sky

By Laura Bohnert

On October 15, Alberta author and presenter Joan Marie Galat gave Whitecourt a night sky to remember with a discussion about astronomy, constellations, mythology, related folklore, and with a bit of stargazing to boot.

Galat’s astronomy presentation took place at the Forest Interpretive Centre from 5:00pm to 8:00pm last Saturday. It was an all-ages event, and was free to attend.  Following the talk, everyone took a short field trip that included a look at some celestial objects with the use of telescopes.

“I’ve been interested in astrology since I was a young girl,” explains Galat.  “I used to go on long driving trips with my parents, and I would stare out the windows.  It was long before handheld devices and iPads,” Galat jokes.  “There was nothing to do but look out the window at the stars.”

“I got interested and went to the library to take out books on astrology,” Galat continues, “but the books they had were meant for adults and astronomers.  They were really advanced, and I got discouraged.”

“When I had kids of my own, I wanted to share night sky with them,” Galat explains, but she wanted to show them more than what her library books showed her, and she wanted to make the material more accessible to young minds, too.  “I decided to tell the stories that ancient cultures imagined when they looked at the night sky.  I did a lot of research, and that’s how my book series got started.”

Galat’s Dot to Dot in the Sky series, along with a number of her other published titles, are works intended for and inspired by children, exploring such topics as astronomy, mythology, light pollution, history, and nature.

Galat’s presentation featured a variety of topics, including her Dot to Dot in the Sky stories about the night sky; however, she also told people what to look for in the sky, and she told some of the stories ancient cultures told about our very own night skies.

“By the end of night, everyone is able to find the North Star from every latitude north of the equator,” Galat adds.  “They are able to identify constellations, they learn how to tell planets from stars, how to spot the space station, and how black holes and supernovas work. Because we are so far north, we are able to see many circumpolar constellations, but some are easier to see in early evening in the fall. For instance, right now, we can look at constellations like Pegasus, the flying horse, and Draco, the dragon.  We are also able to see Cygnus, the swan, Aquila, the eagle, and Lyra, as well as Pisces and Perseus.  We’ll are able to see Mars, Saturn, and Venus, and the international space station has been going by a lot lately. Of course, how much we can see depends on whether we have a clear horizon with no clouds.”

Galat smiles, “I think looking up at the night sky is like free entertainment. It is beautiful, and full of exciting things to see—like the Andromeda Galaxy, which is the farthest object the human eye can see without a telescope in the night sky.  It is an awesome feeling, and it’s exciting to see the space station and know that astronauts hundreds of miles away are going by Earth.

“It’s also important to study space.  We need to understand how the earth works, and we learn by studying other planets and the origin of the universe.  It’s also important to study asteroids, and it’s important to learn about light pollution and how much the dark matters.  Nature has a reaction to light pollution, and dark skies matter, not just to people, but to animals who need to thrive and survive in the darkness at nighttime, too.”

If you are interested in learning more about the importance of the night sky, visit Joan Marie Galat’s website at www.joangalat.com.  Galat also welcomes invitations to visit schools and libraries to share stories about the night sky and promote literacy and books.