See The Stars At Buehler Observatory

With a full moon tonight, stargazers can come out to see the original Friday night lights at , where the Buehler Observatory is open for public observation every Friday, conditions permitting. 

“We generally get 40 to 50 people at a viewing and have had as many as 100,” said Dr. Joseph Sivo, a science professor at BCC. In summer, starting time is 9 p.m. and observation is usually held outdoors, near the campus Technology Building, using portable telescopes from the college’s collection.

Most of the time, visitors gaze at the skies from the two-domed observatory in the Tech Building. Each dome features a powerful 350-pound, reflecting 16-inch telescope.  

Considered the most sophisticated in Bergen County, the Buehler Observatory was constructed almost a decade ago, funded by a nearly $290,000 contribution from the Emil Buehler Trust. Born in Germany in 1899, Emil Buehler was an engineer, architect and aviator who lived much of his adult life in Paramus.

He also had a love for science education.

“Buehler originally wanted to build a planetarium here, but changed his mind in favor of an observatory for viewing the real sky and stars,” explained Sivo. 

The donation funded the construction of the observatory and purchased the equipment needed for classes. Dr. Roger Optsbaum, a BCC professor who previously worked at New York’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was instrumental in guiding the project. The Buehler Observatory now facilitates the study of astronomy for students at BCC and throughout the area.

Visitors to public viewing nights are welcomed by volunteers from the Buehler Columbia Amateur Astronomers Association, an organization established at BCC in 2003 for astronomy enthusiasts.

“We get to show the public what’s going on in the universe,” said the group’s coordinator, Stuart Hengeveld, a science and math teacher and a photographer of the skies. “You don’t have to be an astronomer to join the Association,” he added. “You’ll learn by working with us.”

Hengeveld has seen some spectacular sights while watching the sky.

“Two years ago, a comet blew up," he said. "That was really cool.”  He also lists the births and deaths of stars as memorable sights.

Visitors could spot a few stars of the Hollywood variety. A few years ago, actor James Earl Jones, who was the voice of Darth Vader in several Star Wars movies, came to BCC to give a talk. “I knew he was an amateur astronomer,” said Sivo, who invited Jones to tour the observatory.

While up in the dome, the actor confessed he was having trouble with a telescope at the private observatory in his upstate New York home.  “We gave him and his assistants our own instructions,” said Sivo. The advice solved the problem and the actor sent a token of his appreciation, an autographed Darth Vader helmet now kept in the BCC science department.

Bergen Community College is located at 400 Paramus Road. Public observation is held only if conditions permit. If the chance of rain is predicted to be 10% or less and outlook is mostly clear, observation is on.

Learn more about the Buehler Observatory at www2.bergen.edu/buehler/observatory.htm