There is something about looking up at the stars from 750 feet above Boston that changes the way you see the night sky.

On Friday, September 18, View Boston hosted its first ever Astronomy Night, and it was a night to remember. View Boston partnered with the MIT Astrogazers, who brought three professional telescopes up to the 51st floor, 750 feet above the city. From 8 PM to 10 PM, guests with a general admission ticket stepped out onto the open-air roof deck, looked through the scopes, and saw the Moon, Saturn, and Messier 57, the Ring Nebula.

The weather could not have been better

The Astrogazers only observe when cloud cover is below 30 percent, and on this night the deck saw exactly zero. There were clear skies across the horizon, and the crisp September air was perfect for a casual night of viewing.

Three telescopes, three ways to see the universe

The Astrogazers brought three telescopes, and they picked them on purpose. Each one represents a different category of telescope, so guests can see how different optical designs work side by side. It was like a hands-on astronomy lesson, 52 stories up.

The DWARF Mini (Refracting Telescope) This one-inch refracting telescope from DWARF Lab uses only lenses to gather and focus light. Refractors are the oldest telescope design, and the DWARF Mini is a smart, compact version that makes it really easy to point at the sky and see. It was the perfect scope for guests getting their first look at the Moon, with craters and seas sharp and bright in the eyepiece.

The Unistellar eVscope 2 (Reflecting Telescope) This four-inch reflecting telescope from Unistellar uses only mirrors to collect light. Reflectors can gather more light than refractors of the same size, which makes them great for deep-sky objects. The eVscope 2 is also a smart telescope with live stacking technology that enhances the view in real time. This was the scope guests used to spot the Ring Nebula, Messier 57, a glowing shell of gas expelled by a dying star more than 2,000 light years away.

The Celestron CPC 925 GPS XLT (Catadioptric Telescope) This nine-inch catadioptric telescope from Celestron uses both lenses and mirrors, combining the best of both designs into a compact, powerful scope. Catadioptric telescopes are the workhorses of serious astronomy, and this was the scope guests used to see Saturn. The rings were sharp and clear, and the crowd’s reaction every time someone looked through the eyepiece was pure excitement.

The night's targets

The night featured three targets, and each one was worth the trip up:

The Moon was the first stop. September 18 was a First Quarter Moon, which means the terminator; the line between light and shadow, ran right down the middle. That creates the best shadows and contrast for viewing craters, mountains, and ridges. Through the telescopes, guests could pick out individual craters and trace the edges of ancient lava plains. The Moon is always cool, but a First Quarter Moon through a good scope is something else.

Saturn was the crowd favorite. The ringed planet was high enough in the sky for a clear view, and through the Celestron CPC 925, the rings were unmistakable. Guests lined up for this one, and the reactions were great: gasps, wide eyes, phones coming out to try to capture the moment. Seeing Saturn’s rings through a telescope for the first time is one of those things that stays with you.

Messier 57, the Ring Nebula, was the deep-sky target of the night. It sits in the constellation Lyra and is a planetary nebula, a glowing shell of ionized gas ejected by a dying star. It is faint, but under the clear skies on September 18, the eVscope 2 pulled it out of the darkness with its live stacking technology. Looking at an object 2,000 light years away from 750 feet above Boston is a pretty cool way to spend a Friday night.

The MIT Astrogazers Crew

One of the best parts of the night was not looking through the scopes. It was talking to the people behind them. Throughout the evening, the MIT Astrogazers team chatted with guests about what was being observed, how the telescopes worked, and what it is like to study astrophysics at MIT. Conversations ranged from recent astrophysics news to astronomy in pop culture, from the latest discoveries in deep space research to what a graduate student’s day actually looks like. Guests asked questions, shared their own curiosities, and walked away having seen something cool and learned something new.

Who are the MIT Astrogazers

The MIT Astrogazers are an outreach group of graduate students, mostly from the MIT Astrophysics division, founded by MLK visiting scholar Dr. Duane M. Lee. Their mission is simple: share the universe with everyone. They take telescopes around the Cambridge and Boston area to show the cosmos to the public, host free stargazing and safe solar observing events, participate in science festivals, and present about astronomy, space science, and what it is like to work in the field. They even have phone mounts for their telescopes, so guests can take their own photos home with them.

Based at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, the Astrogazers are part of a long tradition of sidewalk astronomy, bringing the wonders of the universe out of the lab and onto the streets, and on this night, onto the 51st floor of the Prudential Tower. They love sharing the universe with everyone, and it shows in every conversation.

A great night, and more to come

The View Boston Astronomy Night was a success. Guests lined up at each telescope, waiting their turn to see the Moon, Saturn, and the Ring Nebula from 750 feet above Boston. The clear skies made every view sharper. The rooftop setting made every view more fun. And the MIT Astrogazers made every view more interesting.

Stay tuned for more stargazing events as the partnership with the MIT Astrogazers continues; View Boston is already looking forward to the next one.

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See You Up There! 🌌🔭

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