on the town
The Sunday Age
Sunday November 1, 2009
Driving down Nicholson Street in Abbotsford one night, about a year ago, I noticed a rather charming sandwich board. "FOOTPATH ASTRONOMY", it read. "SEE JUPITER, THE MOON". Next to the sign was a large telescope and a small crowd of people. Alas, the designated driver had determinedly pressed pedal to the metal and we passed the scene all too quickly, despite my requests to stop and look.A year later I was on that same footpath, crowding around the viewfinder, and watching passing cars' passengers crane their necks as though longing to stop. I felt like running into the street and urging them to park and look at the stars.In short, Footpath Astronomy - run by astronomy enthusiast Jack McGrath for the past few years - is one of Melbourne's most wonderful secrets. In its early incarnation, Mr McGrath would bring his telescope out to the front of his house (next to "The Sullivans pub", the Retreat) to get a better slice of sky than that afforded by his backyard. Soon enough, passers-by started asking what he was looking at, and he'd show them. It didn't take long to become a regular event.The concept of "footpath" (or sidewalk) astronomy is not new, nor was Mr McGrath its originator, but I would be surprised if any of the world's other footpath-bound astronomers can convey their passion for our universe as convincingly as he can.A burly, affable type, Mr McGrath walks you through his set-up - an impressive (though, he claims, entry level) telescope hooked up to a computer star-chart and digital camera - and talks you through the sky's contents with the enthusiasm I thought left this country's consciousness when Darrell Eastlake was dropped from motorsports commentary.Big whoop, you might think; I can see all those things and more on the internet or in a library book. But therein lies the secret of footpath astronomy: there is something remarkably moving about seeing these celestial bodies with your own eyes, precisely because they are so overexposed in all their Hubble glory.Looking into the viewfinder and seeing Jupiter, while Mr McGrath explains that the black dot on its side is the shadow cast by one of its moons, or examining the craters on the moon, is thrilling. As Mr McGrath explained the history of telescopes, it was easy to imagine how exciting it must have been to look upon these stars, moons and planets for the first time. In a funny way, attending footpath astronomy requires you to unlearn - at least visually - everything you know about the heavens and then discover it all anew. It's difficult to describe but exhilarating to experience.What's most charming about footpath astronomy is the rag-tag crowd of stargazers that collects throughout the evening; a small family, a crowd of rowdy 20-somethings with "travellers", a harried businessman, a pair of cops and a lady with a Bluetooth headset all stopped to marvel at the contents of the sky (and thus, of Mr McGrath's telescope). Frank Capra couldn't have dreamed it better.Slightly incredulous exclamations from curious onlookers of "What's all this then?" soon give way to coos of wonder as Mr McGrath shows the stars. (Through it all, his long-suffering but adoring partner stands by with a coffee and a beatific look on her face.) Some observers choose to hurry on; as a pack of too-cool groovers tore across the street on their way to a party, I heard one of them plead with his friends, "Wait, I want to look at Jupiter!"If you can find the time in your busy life to stop and contemplate the universe with the help of Jack McGrath's telescope, you will be the richer for it. THE FACTSWhere Outside the Retreat Hotel, 226 Nicholson St, Abbotsford; Thurs-Sat (clear nights only)How much Free!Handy hint Bring warm clothing - once you get hooked you'll later realise you've been there for hours. Website slowguides.com/labels/star%20gazing.html
© 2009 The Sunday Age
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