Joshua Brown, '08 has had December 21, 2020 circled on his calendar for a full year. On that night Saturn and Jupiter will align themselves in such a way they will visually form a "Christmas Star" in the southern hemisphere. It's a sight which hasn't been seen for centuries. "This is so fascinating. The last time these two gems were this close to each other was in the year 1226." Brown says the best time to see the bright star-like symbol will be between 5:00 and 6:15 p.m. You will want to look toward the southwest. By shortly after 6 p.m. the configuration will dip below the horizon and out of sight.
Brown works for a government research lab that develops astronomical and optical tools. He learned about the Christmas Star while reading Sky and Telescope magazine last year and has been preparing ever since. Astronomy became Brown's passion when he was 12 or 13 years old. That's when he entered a Science Olympiad competition as part of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District's team. He was instantly hooked, and would go on to join the Syracuse Astronomical Society and work at the Mees Observatory at the University of Rochester.
Brown enrolled at OCC in 2007 and earned a Mathematics & Science degree one year later. "OCC gave me a great foundation and it wasn't just in the classroom. I met a real diverse, eclectic group of people from all walks of life. My time there taught me how to be an adult and see professionals as my peers."
From OCC it was on to SUNY Oswego where he had the opportunity to travel to Brazil for a summer astronomy research project. His love of the stars grew with each passing year. Today Brown is a member of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston and he can regularly be found outside at night with his telescope, photographing the night sky with his wife. "It's fitting the highlight of the year astronomically is two things coming together at a time when togetherness is so hard to come by."
After next Monday night, it will be 400 years until we see out next "Christmas Star." What will be the next big date on Brown's astronomical calendar? He has April 8, 2024 circled. That's when there will be a total solar eclipse which, for those who share Brown's passion, is the Super Bowl of Astronomy.
