cool! There were kids from all over California and even some from out of state all sharing their experiences.” Her first club presentation was on exoplanets. “They’re planets outside our own solar system,” she says. “Exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s, not that long ago. Now 5,000 have been confirmed and that number is growing daily.” Not only does Natalie enjoy the shared astronomy experience among her peers, but she loves helping the younger kids in the club. “Many of them have never done a presentation before,” about the kids as young as 9 or 10 in the group. “Presenting to a group gives them confidence.” It was Natalie’s mom who discovered the Striking Sparks program and encouraged her daughter to enter. “That was when I was in the seventh grade,” Natalie says. “My essay was about my interest in astronomy and how I would use the telescope to help the community.” With the 8-inch scope she received, she has done just that. She volunteers at RFO and has led viewings and presentations at libraries and elementary schools, as well as at Santa Rosa’s Girls in Aviation Day, the Santa Rosa Farmers Market and North Bay Science Discovery Day. Seems only fitting that Natalie received one of five Youth Volunteer of the Year awards as part of the 2024 Heart of Sonoma County awards. …hike the planets Sugarloaf Park’s “Planet Walk” begins near the observatory at the large sign representing the sun. The 4.5-mile round trip trek takes hikers for an on-the-ground trip though the solar system. Nine signs along the way represent the eight planets, plus Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet
special.” A few, in special attire, attracted as much attention as the eclipse. Justin Incredible (yep, that’s her name) wore an orange blouse with gold-sequined lightning bolts that reflected the rays of the sun. Her pants, with bright yellow suns, continued the solar system motif. Her partner Brettt (yes, three Ts) Roncelli wore a velour tracksuit in psychedelic colors and a fedora. Roncelli is no stranger to RFO. “I’ve held a number of events at the observatory. It’s an amazing place,” he said. “On my 51st birthday I came here and asked the docent to find a star 51 million light years away. He did. And he showed me the number 51 nebula. How special was that?” Onzie Stevens, 95, was there with her hiking poles. “My friend Len is a docent. He brought me. I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “When I lived in Washington state in 1979, I drove to Salem, Oregon to see the total eclipse.” Stevens moved to Petaluma a year ago to live with a daughter, one of her eight children. “One of the things I’ve noticed about Californians is that they are so concerned about the environment. They pass resolutions to protect it. I like that.” …young astronomers A group of kids with a passion for astronomy gather on Zoom once a month on a Friday. Dubbed “Young Astronomers,” the program is sponsored by RFO. A regular participant and frequent presenter is Natalie Burton, a sophomore at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa. “It was my dad who got me interested in astronomy,” she says. “He was into stargazing. When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I joined him. I found it all very interesting and started doing research.” On attending her first Young Astronomers meeting, she recalls, “It was so
in 2006. Hikers are able to visualize the size of the planets in relation to each other and the sun, and the vast distances between them. Fitting a solar system model to the parameters of the park was not an easy feat, particularly as a million Earths could fit inside the sun and the distances between planets is vast. To make it all work, the size of the solar system model was reduced 2.4 billion times. Each step along the way represents a million miles in space. While traversing Planet Walk, hikers can enjoy the flora and fauna of the park and the stunning views. Drive up Sugarloaf Mountain to the Robert Ferguson Observatory and be dazzled by the stars, planets and galaxies in the solar system. Listen to interesting talks by knowledgeable docents about the exoplanets, extra- terrestrials, Big Bang, black holes and so much more. It’s an experience not soon forgotten. One small step, indeed. g
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28 NorthBaybiz
May 2024
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