Fifty-five years ago, 600 million television viewers watched in awe as Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. His words—”one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”—still resonant.
These days, North Bay residents don’t need a TV and a $500 million Apollo mission to see the moon up close—thanks to the Robert Ferguson Observatory’s powerful, state-of-the-art telescopes atop Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood. Two decades after the construction of RFO, the celestial heavens are more accessible for viewing than ever—just as science reaches further and further into our galaxy and beyond with each passing year.
It was Armstrong’s journey into space that launched a plethora of programs that have pushed the boundaries of the cosmos. In 1998, the manned International Space Station (ISS)—a joint project involving NASA , Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada—was launched. ISS can accommodate up to seven astronauts who live and work there for extended periods. Traveling at 5 miles per second the station orbits the Earth 90 times per day and serves as a microgravity lab for scientific research and international cooperation. A powerful successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021. The infrared observatory searches for galaxies formed following the Big Bang, determines how galaxies evolve, and observes stars from their initial stages to formation as planetary systems. Amazing discoveries have already been made using the Webb telescope. An international team of astronomers identified icy compounds in two young prostars. The compounds, composed of complex organic molecules, are similar to ethanol and acetic acid, an ingredient in vinegar. The molecules and others detected represent key ingredients for making potentially habitable worlds.
The list of scientific feats and accomplishments in man’s ongoing exploration of the universe is impressive. The Voyager I and Voyager II spacecraft were launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets. Almost 50 years later, their travels into interstellar space gathering data continue. The first of five Mars rovers launched in 2004. Three still roam the planet sending back information related to atmospheric conditions and the planet’s composition. The Voyager I and Voyager II spacecraft launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets of our solar system. And there’s Space X, the company owned by Elon Musk, with four commercial space flights to date. Space X’s mission is to reduce the cost of space travel and ultimately enable people to live on other planets.
In addition to these large, significant undertakings, thousands of amateur astronomers scan the skies peering through telescopes set up in their backyards. They too play a critical role in advancing knowledge of the universe. Some of their recent discoveries include: tracking the remnants of a supernova last observed in 1181, spotting a tiny Jupiter moon and discovering a pair of previously unknown asteroids.
Those in Northern California interested in astronomy and outer space are fortunate to have a place to go to view the heavens close up. Perched atop Sonoma County’s Sugarloaf Mountain, the Robert Ferguson Observatory (RFO)—with three powerful telescopes—is that place.
…a remarkable man
After having lived a full life in Petaluma, Robert Ferguson passed away in 1993. He was a remarkable man. His daughter Colleen—an RFO volunteer, docent and board member—has fond memories of him. “My father used to say, ‘My love of astronomy began as soon as I could look up.’ He was interested in all of the sciences and enjoyed reading science and astronomy books,” Colleen says. “Dad also loved science fiction stories, including the original Star Trek. He talked about how astronomy put things in perspective—how whatever he was stressed about during the day, melted away when he stargazed at night.”
Adds Colleen: He liked to share his passion with others, children in particular.”
“RFO and the Striking Sparks program carry on Dad’s passion for amateur astronomers sharing their knowledge, inspiring young people to learn math and science—and become better people by getting out under the night sky and looking up.
“He would love what’s going on at RFO and be proud of the observatory that bears his name.”
…started by volunteers
The nonprofit Valley of the Moon Observatory Association (VMOA), under the auspices of the California State Parks, is responsible for RFO’s operation and maintenance. Approximately 200 dedicated volunteers and professional astronomers, plus a small support staff, provide educational programs about science and astronomy for students, the public and educators.
The observatory consists of two wings, an observation dome and a classroom. The west wing houses a 40-inch reflector scope. It is the largest publicly accessible scope in Northern California. Dubbed “Project 40,” a team of five volunteers constructed the telescope over a 10-year time frame. George Loyer, founder of VMOA and current vice-president, was one of the team members. He provided digital illustrations, constructed an interferometer for testing the mirror surface and designed the drive system. The drive keeps the telescope’s altitude and distance between celestial object and observer, or azimuth, constantly adjusted for tracking objects in the sky. Other team members did the rough and smooth grinding, and polishing of the mirror, using a hand-built polishing machine. The observation dome houses a 2-meter-long refractor telescope with a Telrad finder. At dusk on a recent evening, viewers peered through the scope and marveled at the sight of Jupiter and Io, one of its moons. The 20-inch telescope on the roof provides camera imaging of objects hundreds of million light years away. It is used for public viewing and by RFO docents for astrophotography and research.
“About 9,000 people visit the park each year,” says Derammelaere. “The observatory is mainly funded through event ticket sales. This year we’ve launched a capital fundraising campaign. The monies will go to replacement of the old exterior decking and expand the observation dome.”
“Our volunteers represent all ages and come from all walks of life and academia,” says Derammelaere. One of those is Michael O’Shea, current RFO board member and former longtime president of Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, which publishes NorthBay biz. “Growing up I was a science geek,” O’Shea says. “After driving up to RFO one evening for a stargazing event, I was hooked.” That was about eight years ago. O’Shea went through the docent training program and eventually joined the RFO board. “I particularly enjoy giving presentations to the school kids” he says. “They’re awestruck on looking through a telescope—many for the first time—and seeing the rings of Saturn, or Jupiter close up.” Those interested in volunteering attend a pair of orientations—one virtual, the other at RFO. That follows with classes in general astronomy, and training on the use of one, or all three of the telescopes. For those interested in becoming a docent, classes are held two to three times throughout the year.
RFO is open for public events, which are posted on its website, rfo.org. Among the more popular events are the Saturday night “Star Parties,” in which docents guide attendees in stargazing through the three telescopes. Star Parties have hosted as many as 300 stargazers in a single evening and feature ongoing classroom presentations on a variety of astronomy topics prior to viewings. The 20- to 30-minute classroom presentations offer a choice of several topics—black holes, exoplanets, Big Bang, dark matter/dark energy, the Mars rovers, James Webb Space Telescope, the sun, neutron stars and the Fermi Paradox (named for Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi, who pointed out the contradiction between the high probability of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations and the lack of evidence to support it). Recently, docent Sam Cena took a poll of those in attendance: “Who would like to hear about black holes??” A few hands went up. “How about neutron stars?” A few more hands were raised. The majority voted for exoplanets, or planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. Sergei and Irina Graff of Los Gatos and their 8-year-old daughter were among those attending. “I was hoping to hear the presentation on the Fermi Paradox. Are there really aliens out there?” she pondered. “Guess I’ll have to come back to find out.” On their way out the family stopped at the RFO store and purchased a telescope.
On Monday, April 12 approximately 200 gathered at RFO in anticipation of the solar eclipse. In the classroom viewers watched NASA’s live streaming as the eclipse made its way across the country. Three telescopes set up outdoors offered views of the partial eclipse over Sonoma County.
When the total blackout made landfall at Mazatlán, Mexico the crowd cheered. “Amazing!” “Cool!” “Wow!” could be heard throughtout out the room. And when a flare erupted from the sun’s corona, everyone gasped.
Jacopo Soraiano lifted his young daughter up to peer though the telescope. “My wife and I came up from San Francisco with our two daughters for a few days camping at Sugarloaf—our timing was perfect,” he said. “This is so special.” A few, in special attire, attracted as much attention as the eclipse. Justin Incredible (yep, that’s her name) wore an orange blouse with gold-sequined lightning bolts that reflected the rays of the sun. Her pants, with bright yellow suns, continued the solar system motif. Her partner Brettt (yes, three Ts) Roncelli wore a velour tracksuit in psychedelic colors and a fedora. Roncelli is no stranger to RFO. “I’ve held a number of events at the observatory. It’s an amazing place,” he said. “On my 51st birthday I came here and asked the docent to find a star 51 million light years away. He did. And he showed me the number 51 nebula. How special was that?”
Onzie Stevens, 95, was there with her hiking poles. “My friend Len is a docent. He brought me. I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “When I lived in Washington state in 1979, I drove to Salem, Oregon to see the total eclipse.” Stevens moved to Petaluma a year ago to live with a daughter, one of her eight children. “One of the things I’ve noticed about Californians is that they are so concerned about the environment. They pass resolutions to protect it. I like that.”
…young astronomers
A group of kids with a passion for astronomy gather on Zoom once a month on a Friday. Dubbed “Young Astronomers,” the program is sponsored by RFO. A regular participant and frequent presenter is Natalie Burton, a sophomore at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa. “It was my dad who got me interested in astronomy,” she says. “He was into stargazing. When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I joined him. I found it all very interesting and started doing research.” On attending her first Young Astronomers meeting, she recalls, “It was so cool! There were kids from all over California and even some from out of state all sharing their experiences.” Her first club presentation was on exoplanets. “They’re planets outside our own solar system,” she says. “Exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s, not that long ago. Now 5,000 have been confirmed and that number is growing daily.”
Not only does Natalie enjoy the shared astronomy experience among her peers, but she loves helping the younger kids in the club.
“Many of them have never done a presentation before,” she says about the kids as young as 9 or 10 in the group. “Presenting to a group gives them confidence.”
…hike the planets
Sugarloaf Park’s “Planet Walk” begins near the observatory at the large sign representing the sun. The 4.5-mile round trip trek takes hikers for an on-the-ground trip though the solar system. Nine signs along the way represent the eight planets, plus Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. Hikers are able to visualize the size of the planets in relation the each other and the sun, and the vast distances between them. Fitting a solar system model to the parameters of the park was not an easy feat, particularly as a million Earths could fit inside the sun and the distances between planets is vast. To make it all work, the size of the solar system model was reduced 2.4 billion times. Each step along the way represents a million miles in space. While traversing Planet Walk, hikers can enjoy the flora and fauna of the park and the stunning views.
Drive up Sugarloaf Mountain to the Robert Ferguson Observatory and be dazzled by the stars, planets and galaxies in the solar system. Listen to interesting talks by knowledgeable docents about the exoplanets, extra-terrestrials, Big Bang, black holes and so much more. It’s an experience not soon forgotten. One small step, indeed.
