Ambush Astronomy encourages WNY’ers to look for astronomical phenomena

WILLIAMSVILLE, NY (WKBW) – Thursday evening in Williamsville, Main Street came alive as sky watchers filled the sidewalk to look for Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas.

• Western New York has experienced an eclipse and a comet in the past six months.
• The 7th Magnitude Podcast team hosted an “ambush astronomy” event in Williamsville.
• Tim Collins and Terry Farrell engaged the audience in star and comet watching.
• The event aimed to connect people with the sky and raise awareness of astronomical phenomena.

Courtesy of 7th Magnitude

Tim Collins and Terry Farrell, hosts of the 7th Magnitude podcast, host the ‘Ambush Astronomy’ event.

“It’s amazing when you get people outside to look up, especially away from city lights. If you look up, you can see the magnitude of the sky,” Farrell said.

The duo encouraged passers-by to look skyward to catch the comet.

Courtesy of 7th Magnitude

“Just giving the public a chance to look at it. We call it ambush astronomy because we’re on the sidewalk and they have no choice,” Collins said.

Sonja Gibson looked up to see something out of this world after grabbing a bite to eat, telling 7 News reporter Jaurdyn Johnson that seeing the astronomical phenomena made her reflect on the precious life we ​​all have.

“It’s wonderful. It reminds you that there’s a lot in the world and we go about our business and our daily lives, and it reminds you that there’s a lot more than just us,” Gibson said.

Courtesy of 7th Magnitude

For Collins and Farrell, the power of social media is paving the way for a whole new crowd of sky watchers.

“All the photos that everyone is posting, and I have photos from our colleagues all over the country, and it’s such a fun tool to use and see what everyone can do,” Collins said.

Courtesy of 7th Magnitude

You can learn more about what’s in the night sky here.

If you missed the comet, here’s a timelapse: