The Pembina Valley Astro club is gaining momentum, and founder Kenton Dyck says the best part has been connecting with people who share his curiosity about the night sky.
“We have to spread the love of science somehow,” said Dyck, who has been taking his telescope on the road to share astronomy with new audiences.
“I keep making all of these connections and I found that they find there's so much overlap between my hobbies and other people's hobbies.” - Kenton Dyck, Pembina Valley Astro Club founder.
Building connections through stargazing
While some events draw large groups and others attract just a few, Dyck explained that each experience opens the door to meeting people with overlapping passions.
“I keep making all of these connections and I found that they find there's so much overlap between my hobbies and other people's hobbies, even though they're radically different,” Dyck shared. “The principles that allow us to enjoy our hobbies often stem from the exact same either discoveries or things that we've learned about our universe that then allow us to build tools that allow us to enjoy these hobbies.”
First visit to Steinbach
One of Dyck’s recent highlights was his first-ever Astro club visit to Steinbach, which offered an unexpected challenge.
“Turns out they have one of the rarest things in central Manitoba that was a real boon for us. They had a hill,” Dyck said with a laugh, referring to local landmark and Winter tobogganing hotspot "Abe's hill". “You try hauling 160 pounds of telescope up a hill and not be winded.”
Despite the uphill trek, the effort paid off. “I think we had about 40 to 45 people show up. I think we were out there till just shy of 1:00 in the morning,” Dyck said. “So yeah, it turned out to be a very, very fun evening.”
Looking ahead to the Harvest Moon Festival
The next big Astro club outing will be at the Harvest Moon Festival in Clearwater. Dyck said festivalgoers can expect breathtaking views if skies are clear.
“Not only do we go all night, by the time the evening is done, and I can't remember if it's five or six planets, you can see,” said Dyck. “As the last planet is setting into the west, right before the sun comes up in the east, there is a string of...five or six planets.”
He added that the waning full moon will make a late appearance, providing even more skywatching opportunities.
“There'll also be a nearly full moon. I think it'll be like three-quarter moon at that point. It'll be waning, but that'll come up at around 3:00 in the morning or so. So that gives us a chance to view a lot of the other deep sky objects before the moon's light makes an appearance.”
An exciting season
With new connections in Steinbach and excitement building for the Harvest Moon Festival, the Pembina Valley Astro club is becoming a hub for skywatchers across southern Manitoba. Dyck continues to share his love of astronomy with communities large and small, and invites anyone curious about the night sky to follow along with the club’s updates and upcoming viewing opportunities. For more on the Pembina Valley Astroclub, including local stargazing events in Winkler, Morden, and beyond, visit their Instagram page.
