Stephani Teran
Express staff
If there is a celestial event occurring in the skies, there is a Plympton resident who is likely outside, telescope at the ready, to admire and observe it. Barry DeCristofano, a mechanical and chemical engineer by profession is also a hobbyist astronomer with a collegiate level of expertise in the field. Many of our Express readers now eagerly anticipate the “What’s Up?” page whenever it appears in the paper. Through DeCristofano’s down-to-earth approach on what might be an otherwise complex subject matter to the untrained participant, readers of the Express have been able to learn about various astronomical events and how to better navigate and understand the night sky. Through graphs, easy to decipher but enlightening illustrations, and detailed facts and instructions – often peppered with his gentle humor, astronomy becomes digestible science to the casual observer.
Being an informed participant in and appreciating the wonder and beauty of astronomy and the night sky was something instilled in DeCristofano from childhood. “My dad took me outside and showed me the Big Dipper and I was hooked. Once I learned that there were repeated patterns in the night sky I couldn’t get enough.” DeCristofano explained that his father served in the Navy in WWII and became familiar with the night sky while out at sea.
DeCristofano also grew up during the 1968 Space Program craze when the public was heavily aware of and enthusiastic about space technology and exploration. By the age of 10, DeCristofano had his first telescope and by the age of 13 he had saved up for a larger one. These days DeCristofano has a telescope so large that it requires its own outbuilding in the backyard. The circa 1975 12-1/2” Cave-Astrola Newtonian Reflector is housed in an ingenious shed with a slanted roof that slides down in order to open the building to the sky and offer an unobstructed view of the heavens for gazing and studying. DeCristofano explains that Plympton offers uniquely ideal skies for observation due to low levels of light pollution. Low light pollution is something DeCristofano and his wife, Carolyn, are passionate about. So passionate, in fact, that Carolyn was the force behind the Massachusetts Dark Sky Bill -a bill that aims to lessen levels of light pollution, conserve energy, and protect the natural rhythms of the environment. With skies devoid of the haze of artificial light and a clearing in the patch of trees just big enough to allow an unobstructed view, DeCristofano can enjoy and observe the universe above from the comfort of his backyard.
DeCristofano says he does not have a favorite object or phenomenon to view in the night sky, rather he has some “old friends” that never cease to amaze him including: Saturn, Jupiter, the moon, the Ring Nebula, Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Hercules Cluster.
“You are in the dark for half of your life, so enjoy it! The good stuff in the sky comes out at night.”
DeCristofano points out that at the end of each day many of us know exactly what happened in the daytime sky (cloudy, rainy, rainbows) but we are largely unaware of what is happening once the sun sets.
One of the missions he has undertaken in his time as a hobbyist astronomer is public outreach and education. In addition to our “What’s Up?” columns in the paper DeCristofano teaches about astronomy in the community any time he can -especially as a member of the South Shore Astronomical Society, founded in 1958 via a group of amateur astronomers on the South Shore. They meet the first Wednesday of each month at the Norwell Council on Aging and for Observing Nights which are open to the public and offer the chance to look through members’ telescopes provided there are enough clear nights.
Carolyn DeCristofano was the first female president of the society in 2022. From school outreach programs to local libraries and in casual conversation, should you by chance get to talk with her, you will have the opportunity to learn something new about astronomy.
“The hard part is the distractions keeping us inside,” DeCristofano says about what can hinder people from dark sky observation. “Evening television after a long day, constant cell phone usage, being apprehensive about being outside in the dark -and sometimes just finding the will to get off the couch after a work day can hinder motivation. Even I have nights where I have to force myself out there but I am always glad when I do.”
Last year in particular offered an array of rare and easily visible astronomical phenomena. DeCristofano says the increased frequency of events with the aurora should continue through the year before slowing down for another decade or so.
“It was my first time seeing the Northern Lights. The Perseid Meteor Shower was also amazing. You know, I’m out there with my telescope, listening to Pink Floyd and the coyotes howling off in the woods, watching the Northern Lights and it’s just perfect.”
If you want to learn more about navigating the night sky and understanding astronomy look for DeCristofano’s forthcoming “What’s Up?” features in the paper or email him at astroblog@comcast.net and follow along with the South Shore Astronomical Society (South Shore Astronomical Society) for upcoming events and viewing nights with telescopes.
Let’s see if this summer we can make a little more time to look up in the dark and be starstruck by the easily observed wonder of the universe.