Cover Graphic by Ryan E. Ross
Every Tuesday and Wednesday night, a group of students gather around a big red telescope on the 6th floor of Science and Research Center 1.
The Astronomy Club was founded sometime in the 1940s, with archival notes from professors like Dr. Edgar Bering.
Amongst the weekly observation gatherings, the club also hosts lectures with professors and professionals in the field. Additionally, the club takes students on camping trips to spend the night in places like Galveston, and Brazos Bend State Park.
The president of the Astronomy Society is Arfah Kashif, a Biotechnology and Media Production major. As current president, Kashif is participating in the ambitious project of expanding the club and sharing it with the Greater Houston community.
When asked about her interest in Astronomy Club and the leadership position, Kashif says “I was always interested in the concept of astronomy and it was so much fun. It was such an incredible place to be and the thing that inspired me to be a leader was just me having ideas every morning at the observatory to make it better. I wanted to be the voice that helps sell this place as an opportunity for so many people that may not know, and I want to be the reason those people want to be there.”
Photo by Melisa Unlu
One of the past presidents, Nick Trevino, who graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 2020, shared a similar sentiment.
“I joined because I love looking at space. As soon as I saw the observatory I knew I had to do whatever I needed to look at the telescope as much as possible. I ran for it[president], because they needed a president,” says Trevino.
Similarly, members join due to an existing interest in space, connections to officers or get interested in Astronomy after joining.
Kira Gianneti is a senior in Computer Engineering and a member of Astronomy Society. When asked about why she joined, Gianneti said “Initially I joined because I knew Arfah. I stayed because it’s something different than my degree. A lot of my degree is circuitry and all my classes blend in together. Astronomy is something different, I can broaden my horizons about science.”
The more time students spend in the observatory, the more memories they add to their arsenal of college experiences.
While hard to pick from many different memories, Trevino shared a special one from when he was the president.
“I spent as much time as possible in the observatory. I have so many memories with the Astronomy Club, one thing I always enjoy is getting someone to look through a telescope for the first time.”
Gianneti states that “Setting up the telescope for the first time is such a special memory. I remember this summer, Arfah had called me to help set up . Arfah, Eric and I were up there and I was flipping through these historical archives and I was looking at them mesmerized.”
Some of the club’s current projects include organizing workshops, planning ambitious camping trips and broadening the club’s reach past UH to share the resources of the observatory with everyone.
As the club continues to expand and progress, the mission of creating a warm community of students and enthusiasts to gather beneath the dome remains intact. The Astronomy Society is a rich and unique college experience for anyone who joins.
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