Young astronomers look to the stars

By Dustin Luca

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Until recently, 12-year-old Daritsa Germosen of Lawrence was never given the chance to use a telescope. But now because of a program based in Groveland, she can look into one every night, weather permitting, of course.

Darista Germosen (NSAAC photo)

Daritsa, a sixth-grader at Alexander B. Bruce Elementary School in Lawrence, recently received one of seven six-inch Newtonian reflecting telescopes from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club's Young Astronomer Program.

Two other local children — Dhruv Srivastava, 10, of Andover, and Gregory Deane, 11, of Lawrence — also won telescopes.

Dhruv Srivasta (NSAAC photo)                           Gregory Deane (NSAAC photo)

The recipients were chosen for their expressed interest in the stars, said Kevin Ackert, director of the program.

"In all of these kids who get into astronomy, something sparks their interest," Ackert said. "There are some very enthusiastic kids out there. You just have to be able to find them."

The Young Astronomers Program finds children interested in astronomy through a variety of ways. In the case of Daritsa, it was an after-school star party at her school earlier this year.

"Two of the members brought their gigantic telescopes to allow the students to look at the stars and planets," said Michelle LaRocque, Daritsa's science teacher.

Daritsa remembers looking at the moon up close for the first time in her life. She immediately noticed that the man in the moon didn't look like much of a man at all.

"You could see it up close," Daritsa said. "You could see the craters better."

For Dhruv, a fourth-grader at West Elementary School in Andover, and Gregory, a fifth-grader at Parthum Elementary School in Lawrence, a visit to a weekly event at Merrimack College in North Andover afforded them the opportunity to win a telescope.

Now, equipped with their own equipment, they are able to view the stars at their own discretion. For Gregory, the city doesn't leave much for adequate viewing at night, but he doesn't mind the quick car ride north to a friend's house outside of Lawrence.

"I'm in the city and I can't see a lot, so I have a friend who lives in the country," Gregory said. "There isn't as much light pollution as there is here."

And since he received his telescope, Dhruv has made a habit of using it every night he can.

"A couple nights in, I went out and used it," said Dhruv. "We reached a random star, which turned out to be Saturn, and since then I have been tracking it across the sky."

For more information about the club or the Young Astronomers Program, visit www.nsaac.org.

 NSAAC Photos