By Jessica Paulsen
Managing Editor
Dr. Henry Leckenby, assistant professor of physics, began the Saint Mary’s Starry Nights program a few years ago to give the SMU community access to resources such as telescopes with which to enjoy the night sky.
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“What I wanted to do is take those things we had and make them available to the campus community,” said Leckenby.
Since then, Starry Nights has grown to include SMU students, faculty and their families, as well as members of the entire Winona community. Leckenby said, “It’s gotten to the point where 10 to 12 people is kind of the minimum now.” When there are big, interesting events such as an eclipse, “we cycle people through the upstairs observing deck,” Leckenby said.
There are usually five telescopes set up for observing certain objects, and participants are encouraged to ask Leckenby questions about what they are seeing. “Mostly, people are seeing new things to them. I try to give them just enough information so they have a context of what they’re looking at, and then let them ask questions if they want to know more,” said Leckenby.
Saint Mary’s Starry Nights is held the first Thursday of each month. There are posters around Hoffman and Saint Mary’s Halls, and an email is also sent out to the campus community before each program. People are welcome to stay as long as they would like, but generally each program runs one and a half hours. If the weather or visibility is bad, Leckenby always has a back-up educational program.
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