On Thursday, August 3rd, of 2023, we sat down to talk about all things astronomy with Al Witzgall, the Recording Secretary of Amateur Astronomers, Inc. who are a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit club who operate out of William Miller Sperry Observatory at Union County College located in Cranford, NJ. The Club promotes the study and public awareness of the cosmos through observing, education, outreach, astrophotography, and more.
Amateur Astronomers, Inc. was founded on November 14th, 1949 by a couple of dedicated amateur astronomers. The club promotes an interest in the science of astronomy through many community based activities and outreach programs which include courses, lectures, and college scholarships. With over 160 members (give or take, due to COVID-19), AAI is one of the largest astronomy clubs in the United States. Amateur Astronomers Inc. remains open to new membership sign ups throughout the year, and opens to the public every Friday evening, weather permitting. You can sign up here to become a member.
During these public open nights, AAI conducts an informal talk which is followed by viewing of celestial objects through the two large telescopes as well as many member setups that may be available for viewing during the evening.
Sperry Observatory began as a $150,000 endowment to Union College by Mrs. Frederick W. Beinecke and son William, and was dedicated on May 21st, 1967 in honor of William Miller Sperry, Mrs. Beinecke’s father. Mr. Sperry was a local philanthropist, president of Sperry & Hutchinson Co., and an avid amateur astronomer. The Sperry Observatory is the home of Amateur Astronomers Inc. and the observatory houses two of the largest telescopes on the East Coast for amateur use! The 18-foot East Dome is made of steel and it holds a 10-inch f/15 refractor which was actually built by club members.
Image Credit: Amateur Astronomers, Inc.
Al, having grown up during the “the space race”, was heavily inspired by his history teacher to be a Scientist, which later blossomed into working with telescopes. Al was quickly influenced to join Amateur Astronomers, Inc. after reading about the club in the Sky and Telescope Magazine back in July 1972, right after the total solar eclipse. He has since been actively involved in many of the events and work the club does with the wider community. We were lucky enough to draw on Al’s experience and enthusiasm on everything Astronomy and Astrophotography through interviewing him and have highlighted below some of Al’s key takeaways from the hobby as well as fun facts!
Al believes that astronomy and astrophotography can in fact impact life on earth and the world around us! He says it is vital that we at least understand the solar system as it can help us make informed decisions moving forward. For example, right now here on Earth, we are dealing with issues such as global warming and it is imperative that we understand what’s going on because it’s the only planet we’ve got! The nearest livable planet is out in Andromeda. Al further mentions that it is a good stepping stone for people who want to look at other aspects of science as well, such as chemistry or biology. The more that we understand the universe, the more that we understand our world, and the better it is for everyone! “Get out there and understand things now for the future..”.
Al tells us that back in 1972, he built a Newtonian Reflector from the ground up, and still to this day he builds his own equipment! In 1977 Al won an award for a 10” telescope he built and still uses to this day. If Al is purchasing equipment, he says his go to brand is Celestron for the overall quality of their gear.
As much as Al enjoys some planetary photography, his preference is visual astronomy! Al mentions his favorite target is Jupiter (which takes him back to when he got his degree and having to study Jupiter’s cloud band) or mars. As far as his favorite locations to view and/or image under, Al says he works mostly out of the Sperry Observatory and Voorhees State Park in New Jersey. The darkest skies Al has ever photographed under is at Jenny Jump State Forest in Hope, New Jersey.
We asked Al a bit of a fun question on whether he believes life exists outside of the solar system and he stated he does. He believes we are on the verge of discovering maybe not life, but at least the compounds that indicate it. Al mentioned the Europa Clipper Mission which is to be conducted by NASA in October 2024 to get samples and see if something is there/viable life. He believes likely one planet will have at least the precursor of life, or life itself. But as far as intelligent life, he is not sure.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley
Al’s best piece of advice for someone starting out fresh to the hobby of astrophotography would be to read, and read a lot! He says there are good books that can provide a lot of insight. The books “Field Guide to the Stars and Planets” by Donald Menzel or “The Lunar Orbiter Photographic - Atlas of the Moon” by Bowker and Hughes are some of Al’s favorites.
Finally, Al leaves us with some words of wisdom. “A lot of things that have made or broken any hobby or passion are the people”. He has been lucky to have met some great people in the industry, however Al reminds us “Don’t throw your hands up just because someone shows up and is a downer. Keep on going and never give up!”.
