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“Twinkle, twinkle little star…” I couldn’t help but sing this cheery, childhood ditty as I drove to the edge of nowhere as the sun set. My destination was Hathaway Park in Punta Gorda, Fla., to tour the night sky with a company called Starry Night Florida.
Twinkle, Twinkle A Sea of Stars
I arrived as the sky transitioned from a pale pinkish orange hue to light blue. Hosts Jason and Ana Grauberger welcomed me with smiles while handing me a hooded mosquito jacket and red glow stick. The jacket keeps pesky mosquitoes from biting while the red light I wore around my neck helps with night vision.
Jason prepped the high-powered telescope focusing on our first stop of the night, the planet Venus. Ana put the finishing touches on the snack table adorned with goodies perfect for a galactic evening: Moon Pies, Milky Way candy bars, and Starry Soda, along with other treats. Five folding chairs were set up to accommodate four others and me.
I’m fascinated by our Universe and can spend hours gazing into the night sky, I just don’t make time to do so. While working in Death Valley and Yellowstone national parks in the ’90s, admiring the night sky and seeing millions of diamonds sparkling on a black backdrop was a frequent activity. It was a time before social media, television reception was minimal, and life seemed to move at a snail’s pace.
It was always a treat – and taken for granted – to see the Milky Way and catch the flash of a falling star streaming across the sky. I took an astronomy class in college (many eons ago) and I’m an alumnus of the NASA Social community, yet there’s so much I don’t know about the cosmos.
Constellations. Planets. Betelgeuse. Oh My!
This is why I was over the moon learning about Starry Night Florida and their stargazing tours. The evening tour includes glimpses into the universe along with mythological tales, historical stories, and astronomical facts. Unlike most tours, this nocturnal adventure was pretty stationary. The exception was taking turns getting up and looking through the telescope offering a window into our fascinating galaxy.
Using a laser, Jason pointed out specific stars and constellations, which was helpful when looking into the telescope. Although it was a March sky, my zodiac – Taurus – was very much in the house.
He pointed to Betelgeuse (pronounced “Bettlejuice”) and explained what makes this red supergiant star unique. It’s the tenth-brightest star and second brightest in the Orion constellation (Orion’s shoulder). Although less than 10 million years old – our sun is about five billion years old – the star is nearing the end of its life and expected to explode as a supernova. In our lifetime? Probably not, but astronomers guess it’ll happen within the next 100,000 years. The last time a supernova was observed in our galaxy was in the early 1600s. Pretty cool!
As the evening progressed, we received binoculars to peer deeper into the night. It’s amazing how much more I could see. Looking into the sky through a pair of binoculars was like taking a vision test but with definitive results on which view is better. With my naked eyes, I saw darkness and a bit of twinkling. The binoculars provided sharp focus of dozens of stars and between looking through them and the telescope, I spotted four satellites. While enjoying the night sky with my bare eyes, I spied a firefly coasting overhead. An unexpected sight was seeing a SpaceX rocket, launched from the Space Coast, pierce the night sky with its orange glow.
Hooting owls, buzzing insects, and an occasional braying donkey from a nearby farm orchestrated the evening’s symphony. The night sounds were the perfect background music for enjoying the dark sky.
A Souvenir that Doesn’t Take Up Luggage Space
Starry Night Florida launched in 2023. A visit to the James & Barbara Moore Observatory on the Charlotte Campus of Florida SouthWestern State College inspired Jason to start offering tours. During a free public session at the observatory, the astronomy enthusiast noticed the number of people waiting in line for a quick glimpse into the observatory’s telescope. He saw an opportunity to share his knowledge and passion of the cosmos with others through the nighttime tours.
It’s been a couple of months since I took this tour and each night I step outside, I look up to admire stars, constellations, and identifiable planets. I think back to that 2.5-hour tour and how it re-introduced me to astronomy and how each night is a new celestial adventure. Hosts Jason and Ana spared no details in ensuring a fun, informative and memorable evening.
When it comes to things to do in Florida, we typically think of all the things under the sun. Starry Night Florida challenges us to look up into the night sky and think beyond what we know. This tour is a unique souvenir because the knowledge learned can be taken home – without utilizing precious luggage space – and applied to your backyard stargazing and anywhere else you look up into the evening sky.
Nuts & Bolts About Starry Night Florida
Starry Night Florida
www.starrynightflorida.com
Tel: 941-800-2161
Items to Note
- Advance reservations, bookable online, are required.
- Visit the Starry Night Florida website for current pricing.
- Although tours take place at Hathaway Park in Punta Gorda, Starry Night Florida doesn’t have an office there.
- Weather plays a factor and be flexible with your plans. Depending on cloud coverage, a tour time may be pushed back or cancelled altogether. Third times a charm for me – my original tour was cancelled due to cloud cover and the rescheduled date was also cancelled. Although disappointed, the experience is worth the wait! Jason was great in reaching out and keeping me updated on the respective evenings.
- Florida at dusk almost always equates to mosquitoes so dress accordingly, including wearing long pants and avoiding wearing strong scents. Mosquito jackets and insect repellent are available onsite.
- Have fun!
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