WHAT’S UP?  ASTRONOMY…WITH ASTRONOMY TO GO!

BRINGING THE UNIVERSE TO YOU.  The objective of this non-profit organization is to bring the beauty and splendor of the night sky down to earth for all to see, understand and enjoy.

These are not your typical “suit-and-tie professionals”, but dedicated amateur astronomers whose relationship with the planets and stars is deeply personal.  This allows the audience to enter the Universe in a more warm and friendly approach, with a guide who has been there many times over and knows his/her way around the sky like you know your way around your own backyard.

ASTRONOMY TO GO was officially founded in 1990, but was really just a new vehicle for a group of amateurs to combine forces and ideas and to continue the work they had been doing individually for years – PUBLIC EDUCATION.  While there are several excellent astronomy clubs in the area, all doing public programs to some extent, they are primarily groups for those already involved in the science/hobby.  ASTRONOMY TO GO is just about public outreach.  We are dedicated to taking our programs and our telescopes, day or night, to schools, camps, community groups, scout troops or whoever else wants or needs a program that can come to them.  While our members enjoy a night out alone to observe and explore new sights in deep space, we would much rather introduce some newcomers to sunspots, prominences and flares, craters on the Moon, Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s cloud features and moons, double stars, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and the constellations in which these gems reside.

Founder and Director Bob Summerfield was first introduced to Astronomy by his third grade teacher.  It became a full-blown love affair with the science at Cheltenham High School where Bob could usually be found hiding out and working in the school’s planetarium.  He has been involved with teaching Astronomy to the Adult School classes there since 1979, and even met his wife Lisa there who was a student in his class.  They currently co-teach the Astronomy class for the Adult School on Monday nights.  Over the years Bob has become one of the best known amateurs in the region.  He has been locally profiled in articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Times Chronicle, and The Northeast Times, as well as in national publications including Sky & Telescope Magazine and Parade Magazine.  He has been featured on KYW-TV (3) and WCAU (10) news reports and has had several of his photos published in Sky & Telescope (including the cover of the June 1989 issue).  Bob and Lisa are also regular fixtures with ASTRONOMY TO GO

At many Astro-gatherings around the country, such as the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys, the Texas Star Party, Riverside (California) Astronomy Expo, Astrofest (outside of Chicago), as well as at numerous Science Teacher Conferences across the US.  He can also be found chasing Aurora, meteor showers, occultations and eclipses all over the country (and parts of the world if necessary!)  After serving three terms as President of the Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers, Bob wanted to focus his energies on sharing the sky with all that needed the same kind of introduction he had in third grade, so ASTRONOMY TO GO was formed.

Sharing Bob’s vision and the duties of ASTRONOMY TO GO are a dedicated crew of former and current members of Bob and Lisa’s Adult School class:  Joe Cassidy, Judy Bishop, Debbie Melcher, Jennifer and Eric Unterkoffler, Dave DeBalko, LaVerne Lee, Roxanne Rouanet, Glenn Weaver, and Tom Santangelo , as well as Joan Summerfield, a retired Science Specialist with the School District of Philadelphia.  Rounding out the original members are Scott Negley, retired Director of the Cheltenham High School Planetarium and Bob’s former teacher, and Scott Manning who helps out as often as possible when not busy with his full time job with Microsoft.  Members of the Willingboro (NJ) Astronomical Society (of which Bob, Lisa, Joan and Scott are also members) also help out when their schedules allow.

Although still growing, ASTRONOMY TO GO has been on the go!  We have presented thousands of Star Parties and well over 100,000 people have enjoyed the views through our telescopes, many of them students throughout the Delaware Valley.  While our current line-up of telescopes include numerous small to midsized scopes, attention is usually focused around our 20” and 25” showpieces.  We have found that it is much easier to excite and teach someone when you have his/her attention and these telescopes guarantee that!  Many more have enjoyed our indoor programs, which include “The Sky Tonight” presented in our portable planetarium, “Visitors From Space – A Hands On Tour of the Universe” featuring our extensive collection of Meteorites and Tektites (including pieces of the Moon and many samples from Mars!),  “What’s Up?” a tour through the objects in the astronomical sky, and a talk on daytime astronomy called “The Physics of Reflection and Refraction in a Drop of Water” (more commonly known as “Rainbows”).  We also have a special Havdala program presented in our planetarium which has been very popular at local synagogues. When Bob and Lisa attend Star Parties around the country they also bring with them The Yard Scope, a 36” Dobsonian telescope which is the world’s largest portable observatory dedicated to public education.  This telescope was purchased through donations from hundreds of individual people around the country, as well as the support from two very important companies in the astronomical community, TeleVue Optics and Software Bisque.  ASTRONOMY TO GO considers itself to be the caretakers of this special telescope and by bringing it around to the various Star Parties thousands of amateur astronomers across the country can view the splendors of the night sky through the amazing optics of this 36” mirror.

All of our growth and equipment purchases have been accomplished through private donations to our cause.  Our main source of income has been our traveling Science Museum Shop, which carries a large assortment of science and astronomy related t-shirts, jewelry, books, toys, observing and teaching aids, as well as an extensive collection of meteorites and tektites.  We set up our booth at astronomy gatherings across the country as well as National Science Teachers Association conferences and conferences of other professional organizations such as the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Astronomical Society.  ASTRONOMY TO GO exists and continues to grow because of the support of the amateur and professional astronomical communities and teachers nationwide.

While we do have a busy year ahead, traveling around the country, our schedule has plenty of openings, day and evening, to fit in your school, troop, synagogue or other organization.  Our programs can be custom tailored to your member’s age group, needs or curriculum.  Whether to arrange a program or answer some questions that you may have, we hope to hear from you.  ASTRONOMY TO GO is here for you!