It was a beautiful evening for urban stargazing in Lawrenceville, whether you were peering through a powerful telescope or pointing mobile technology to the sky.
Google Pittsburgh joined the Amateur Astronomer's Association of Pittsburgh for a Deep Sky Urban Star Party this week, one of several summer events that is giving new life to the empty pool at Leslie Park. Venus and Mars put on a good show too.
About 500 gathered throughout the evening under the night sky to gaze heavenward and use
Google's Sky Map app, which was developed in Pittsburgh. "An evening like this is magic," sang Susan Englert who is working with the
Leslie Park Pool Collective, Citiparks, the mayor's office and others to rekindle interest in returning Leslie Park to the community.
"It's a nice intersection between the rocket science of mobile phone technology and the age old practice of stargazing," added Sean Carlson of Google. "To show off a born and bred Pittsburgh project like this is really great."
The beauty of Google's Sky Map, an Android mobile app, is its instantaneous recognition of the names and locations of all the planets and half the visible stars in the sky, explained Kevin Serafini, one of two software engineers who developed the app on Google's "20% time," a company perk that allows employees to spend one day a week on creative projects.
The app uses a navigational sensor that operates like a compass without a network. "You can be on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and use it," says Serafini. "It also detects constellations on the other side of the earth when pointed at the ground."
Writer:
Deb SmitSource: Sean Carlson, Kevin Serafini, Google; Susan Englert, Leslie Park Pool Collective
Google Pittsburgh's Kevin Sarafini demonstrates Sky Map, copyright Jason Parker-Burlingham at Google PittsburghSign up to receive Pop City each week.