How the Blind See the Stars

The new moon night was dark and rich in stars. The line at the bottom of the steps was 200 deep and growing. This was a busy public night at the Martz/Kohl Observatory atop Robin Hill, in Frewsburg, New York, and the rickety old ladder up to the eyepiece of our biggest ‘scope was getting a workout. When nothing more than space itself and a telescope separates an eye from the open sky, it’s inspiring—a direct view to the heavens cannot be matched by pixels on a screen. On clear nights, that was our promise to the public.

We gave everybody one full minute atop our makeshift staircase to take their own