Update on the fence situation at CGO:
The CGO Committee submitted a proposal to the MAS Board for budget approval of a new fence with sturdier posts. This proposal was rejected in favor of a proposal by our current Vice President. Under lesser circumstances, this might invite concerns about process and conflict of interest. However, the board has chosen to evaluate this submission strictly on its overwhelming artistic merit.
Here is a synopsis of the selected proposal for perusal by membership:
Selected Proposal: Lithic Alignment for Nocturnal Resilience
In a bold departure from proposals relying on obsolete donated astronomical equipment, this concept returns to astronomy’s earliest observational technology: large stones. Drawing inspiration from Dave Falkner’s recent club presentation on Stonehenge, the artist proposes a monumental north light barrier composed of megalithic granite elements, reminding us that before there were telescopes, there were rocks carefully placed in fields by people with celestial ambitions.
Although authentic British bluestone may be difficult to source, the proposal notes that ships require ballast and suggests that, with sufficient vision and resourcefulness, suitable material might be obtained from Great Britain at minimal cost. The transport process is central to the artistic vision: volunteers in period attire would float, roll, drag, and slide the stones up the Mississippi and Zumbrota rivers and across farm fields to the observing site, creating a participatory work rooted in ancient astronomy that tests the engineering skills of our current volunteer members.
Once installed upright, the stones would serve as both a functional barrier to metropolitan skyglow and a monument to humanity’s earliest efforts to understand the heavens. The proposal concludes with the observation that, unlike the former fence, these original astronomy instruments would offer a far more direct challenge to the wind gods—particularly if accompanied by substantial defiant cavorting on the part of observing field users.
Click below to join what promises to be a memorable volunteer experience:
