Astronomical Observation Club : Gaebapbaragi

There is an astronomical observation club called Gaebapbaragi (or “Venus” in English) in Hongik University. The keyword for September is "Moon," so we interviewed Son Jung-won, the president of the club!

1. Please give a brief introduction about the club.

Hello, I'm Son Jung-won, president of Gaebapbaragi. Gaebapbaragi is the astronomical observation club of Hongik University, founded in 1994. Our astronomical activities include observatory meetings and regular meetings. First of all, our astronomical observatory activities include an In-school Observatory Meeting that takes place in school in an impromptu manner like a flashmob, a Han River Observatory Meeting, where we observe the Moon while we enjoy chicken and beer, and a Long-Distance Observatory Meeting, where we take a bus to a distant observatory and observe many stars that cannot be seen in Seoul. Also, there's a Regular Meeting, which is a “seminar” that meets every week to share information and issues about celestial bodies. Also, we have a wrap party after that! In addition, we have a Foundation Festival that invites club seniors who already graduated from Hongik University to celebrate the foundation of the club. We also have a One-day Draft Beer Bar. Club members sometimes go to lunch together and travel together.

(All photos courtesy of Son Jung-won.)

In-school Observatory Meeting

Han River Observatory Meeting

Long-distance Observatory Meeting

2. There is a “seminar” as the main activity. Do you remember anything special you learned from this activity?

I attended a most memorable seminar in which I actually practiced assembling parts of a telescope. It was amazing that I actually saw such a large telescope, and people who were in the seminar taught me so much about the environment for observation, the parts of the telescope, and how to find stars with the telescope. After the explanation, we personally assembled the parts outdoors and adjusted the position of the telescope while setting the telescope horizontally. It is a fresh experience that has lingered in my memory.

3. Do you have any special memories from an Observatory Meeting?

When we hold a Long Distance Observatory Meeting, we arrive at the observatory just after 10 o'clock, but since the meetings are in the mountains, there is no light except moonlight, and since it interferes with astronomical observation, cell-phone flashlights are also unusable. So, on one trip we started observing, but it was so dark that I stepped barefoot on the rice balls that had left on the mat. Everybody felt a little embarrassed after I did that.

4. The keyword for September is 'The Moon'. Have you ever observed the Moon or held seminars about this in the club?

During the semester, there is the Han River Observatory Meeting, which is held before and after midterm examinations. We hold a seminar before that on the position and pattern of the Moon to be observed at the meeting because the main observation target is the Moon. You might think the discussion is all about the shape of the Moon, but we have time to share our research on various topics, including where the Moon is, and whether the Moon is at its highest or near the horizon at that time when the observation will actually take place.

5. Can you recommend a good place to observe astronomical phenomena, such as a lunar eclipse?

I think any place in a high and spacious location will be fine, but I would like to select the roof of Building Z, where it is easy to observe the sky at school. It's a place where we often go when we hold an In-school Observatory Meeting. The sky from between the high school buildings is very beautiful. I think the night views of the Han River, the city, and the lunar eclipses are fantastic. I strongly recommend it.

6. What comes to mind when you think of "The Moon"?

When I think of the Moon, the ebb and flow of the tide comes to mind first. In fact, I remember vividly from elementary school when I learned that even though the Moon is just a huge block of stone in the distance, it causes the rising and ebbing tides by getting close to and far from the Earth. I heard that when there was a big flood in Busan this year, too many precipitation and high tide times overlapped, and such terrible events happened. I thought, "The Moon is far away, but it can make a terrible thing happen!" and I was in awe.

7. What is the way for students to feel closer to celestial bodies and become interested in them?

My major is Sculpture, so when I say I'm the president of the astronomical observation club, many people are surprised and say, "I think it is necessary that you have knowledge of natural sciences and engineering." But, that's definitely not true. Astronomical observation is not something that only people who have learned Earth science can do. I think it might also be astronomical observation to raise your head and look at the sky when you go for a walk and the night sky is beautiful. You can look at the sky for even just 30 seconds a day. Just looking at the sky can give rise to curiosity and a love for celestial bodies. You may be curious about the beautiful colors of the sky that change every day, and you may want to know what that star is next to the Moon. Because of such a small interest, I came into the astronomical observation club and became the president.

8. Finally, what is an appeal of astronomical observation that we can share with Hongik University students?

I think an appeal of astronomical observation is that it makes me feel like I'm in a different world by separating my attention from the present. I think it's really great to enlarge and observe stars with a telescope, but I prefer to observe stars with the naked eye. Whenever I see stars floating quietly in the sky, I feel like my attention and thoughts, which are bound to reality, disappear far away, leaving only the sky and me.

Everyone can fall for the appeal of astronomical phenomena even if it's because of a trivial motivation. Why don't you fall for the appeal of this today?

Yoon Sun-young sunflower0180@naver.com

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