Stars in their eyes in Tehachapi

One of the many great things about Tehachapi is the ability on most nights to look upward to the heavens and see a plethora of stars, planets, space satellites and maybe even the International Space Station. But with only the naked eye, they appear as small moving objects against a very big, dark sky. A telescope helps to make these objects far more interesting to look at as they orbit the earth.

Much of what can be observed by astronomers are end products from the minds and hands of local Tehachapi residents. Tehachapi is full of engineers, space product designers, technicians and support staff involved in aerodynamics and space exploration projects due to the proximity of Edwards Air Force Base, NASA, JPL, and China Lake, not to mention aerodynamic companies in Tehachapi and Mojave.

NASA/JPL engineer and educator Dale Hawkins, along with Mark Pestana, both residents of Tehachapi, in cooperation with the city of Tehachapi, sponsor a yearly Star Gazing event at Tehachapi Airport. This year, with a clear sky and a light wind, nearly two dozen telescopes of varied strengths and design were on hand for visitors to look through.