Gazing at the stars can inspire a sense of wonder and awe, bringing home an awareness of the vastness of the universe and our humble place in it. This past Saturday my husband and I were able to share that experience with our children at the Stargazing in the Garden event at the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens. The free event was a joint effort with the Oglethorpe Astronomical Society, and occurs periodically throughout the year.

We arrived after dark and made our way to the field where numerous large telescopes were set up, focusing on a variety of interesting heavenly bodies. We saw galaxies, nebulae, the North Star (which we learned is really two stars revolving around each other), a blue star, and the planet Uranus, among other things. Pretty amazing.

The telescopes themselves were quite impressive, with some of them requiring the use of a ladder. One telescope in particular prompted my husband to notice its resemblance to a hot water heater in the darkness.

The people tending the telescopes were very knowledgeable and helpful, and I think we learned a lot. The stargazing was scheduled from 8:00 to 10:00 pm, but we left at 9:00 because the kids needed to get to bed. Still, it was well worth the time.

If you are interested in this program or other events at the Bamboo Farm you can go to their website (http://www.bamboo.caes.uga.edu) and check the Events Calendar or get on the email list to be notified of upcoming events.