Darling Hill

Fall 1972: Darling Hill Observatory Tully, NY (42.8° N 76.1° W)

About the time I turned twelve years old I had the opportunity to visit the Darling Hill Observatory in Tully, NY. The reason for the trip was a school outing for my younger brother’s fourth grade class. Because my parents had to drive him to the observatory, I got to tag along.

As I recall it was a crisp autumn night, sometime in October or November. I had the chance to look through the observatory’s main telescope and I have never forgotten what I saw…Saturn! 

At the time I had no comprehension of what I was seeing, or how far away it was. All I knew was that I saw this cool little disk with rings around it. I was fascinated…and cold.

From that time forward, I have been interested in space in general and the night sky in particular. I have spent many nights looking up and have viewed the wonders of the universe through many types of seeing devices; from telescope and binoculars to my own eyes. No matter what I use I am always pleasantly met by both familiar and unfamiliar sights.

I will always trace my interest in astronomy back to that chilly fall night in Tully, NY.