Taft Gardens invites you to explore the night sky with visiting artist and astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, along with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther.
Perched above the renowned Gardens, the Mesa is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Take in the beauty of the site as dusk falls. Once it gets dark, we will look through an array of Russell's telescopes: an 8-inch diameter Newtonian, a 9.25 diameter Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a 12.5-inch diameter Dobsonian.
Russell will begin with a little background on astronomy and the basics of night sky observing, then describe the celestial objects as we view them. Depending on the day, we will observe deep sky objects, globular clusters, galactic star clusters, nebulae, double stars, and other celestial wonders. We will also take a look at the major planets when they are visible.
Participants are welcome to arrive one hour before the start time if they wish to bring a picnic dinner to enjoy beforehand. All food items and trash must be taken out with you. Please plan to arrive no later than 15 minutes before start time as there is a short walk/golfcart ride up to stargazing location. Stargazing may be rescheduled due to weather conditions. If you cannot attend and have booked a ticket please tell us with as much advance notice as possible so we can fill spaces.
Please no dogs or children under 12.
We look forward to a relaxed and enchanted evening with you under the stars!
About Russell Crotty / Russell Crotty Home
As a serious amateur astronomer, Russell has studied the night sky for decades, utilizing his own array of telescopes with occasional sojourns to professional observatories. In 2015-2016, he engaged in a collaborative residency co-organized by the Institute of the Arts and Sciences (IAS) at UC Santa Cruz, the UC Lick Observatory, Theoretical Astrophysics Santa Cruz (TASC), culminating in a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art San José. Russell Crotty IAS/UCSC Residency He has made important observational contributions to accredited astronomy organizations such as NASA and ALPO (Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers). He obsessively and enthusiastically documents the night sky and celestial phenomenon within his practice as a visual artist and received a Guggenheim fellowship in 2015.