Page 5

Spotlight On Member - Mitchell Barry

By Mitchell Barry

Howdy! My name is Mitchell Barry, and I am the loudest and proudest member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2023! I am currently a member of several student activity groups, including the Mitchell Institute Star Party Team, the Wind Symphony, the Hullabaloo Band, and the Society of Physics Students.

Over the years, I have had many hobbies and outlets. I started playing the piano at a young age, and I even took lessons for a while. A few years later, my father gave me his euphonium, which I still play to this day. By my senior year of high school, I had earned first chair in the ATSSB All-State Band for the third consecutive year. My skills with the euphonium earned me a place in the prestigious Texas A&M Wind Symphony, an elite 63-member ensemble under the direction of Dr. Timothy Rhea.

My Interest in Astronomy

A couple years ago, I became casually interested in astronomy when I heard that Dr. Spearman was hosting a star party at his private observatory. Little did I know that I would meet my first mentor there. When I arrived, I saw an observatory, all the brightest stars, and a blinding first-quarter moon. I found Dr. Spearman's equipment to be very impressive, but because of the moonlight, the sky was simply not what I had hoped for.

A few weeks later, Dr. Spearman invited me back when there was no moon. That night, I watched as twilight slowly faded away. Then, the unthinkable happened. “Here come the clouds!” Dr. Spearman said. Frustrated, I looked up and quickly learned they weren't typical clouds. As it turns out, they were star clouds. There I was, standing under the darkest skies I had ever seen, staring at the Milky Way in all its glory.

Chain of Events

This moment led to an incredible chain of events. After that night, I started reading everything I possibly could about astronomy. I would use any telescope that I could get my hands on, no matter what condition it was in. In the months that followed, I spent daytime hours reading about telescope optics, memorizing constellations, and learning vocabulary, and whenever possible, I spent nights under the stars. I even thought about building my own telescope. My parents saw how fascinated I was and decided a telescope would be a good Christmas present. My father met with Dr. Spearman to choose the telescope and to assemble it when it arrived.

And a good Christmas present it was! That was the most thrilling Christmas I have ever had. Suddenly, I had a complete beginner setup and a whole universe of possibilities. I took the scope out to our light-polluted yard on every clear night for months.

Interest in Photography

Eventually, my hobby of stargazing was complemented by my interests in photography. My mother has always enjoyed taking pictures, and she was an avid photographer in the days of film. Today, she uses her iPhone because it is a little bit more convenient. My mother's picture-taking hobby was passed on to me, but I did not discover it until I found myself wishing I could take a picture of the night sky. To do this, I couldn't just use my phone camera. I needed a DSLR, and my brother, Matthew, agreed. He told me to do some research, and he would buy me whatever camera I needed. Before long, I discovered that shopping for cameras is not exactly easy or relaxing. Nonetheless, after a few months, I told him my selection and why I chose it. He quickly approved and made the purchase, and it was delivered just in time for our first trip to the X-Bar Ranch, one of the best places to go stargazing in Texas. With that camera, my brother and I took the vertical panorama pictured. That photo is the best picture of the Milky Way I have ever taken.

Before I get to my setup, I have so many people to thank for helping me bring all of it together! For starters, Dr. Spearman helped my parents choose my first telescope, he generously gave me BOTH of my wide-field eyepieces, and he consistently lets me go stargazing at his place, which has low horizons and exceptionally dark skies. If it weren't for him, I could not be the amateur astronomer I am today.

Milky Way Panorama

I would also like to thank my parents, not only for funding everything else in my astronomy setup, but also for encouraging me to explore my hobbies. I would like to thank my brother for funding my entire photography setup - camera, lenses, tripod and all - which was not cheap! I would like to thank Ginger for letting me borrow some of her photography equipment, and for Dr. Light's great advice and beautiful photos that constantly remind me why I fell in love with this hobby in the first place. Finally, I would like to thank the Brazos Valley Astronomy Club for facilitating my growth in astronomy over the past few years.

Attending Planetpalooza community outreach

Attending business meeting prior to star party

Getting last minute instructions before star party

Father-son team at Messier Marathon

Group photo-Messier Marathon

Mitchell with his father, David