July 16, 2021
Located at Jack M. Fields Sr. Elementary School, the Insperity Observatory has provided a glimpse of the cosmos to Humble ISD families since its opening in 2009.
The Observatory has a free public viewing night in the first Friday of each month. From sunset to 10 p.m. the Observatory is open to the public and offers three different tours: laser tours of the sky, the astronomy in art exhibit, and tours of the Observatory as a whole. Small groups meet in the main Observatory, where they are then taken around on the Observatory tour and the astronomy in art exhibit before the sky tours begin.
Dr. Aaron Clevenson, Insperity Observatory Director, talks to the crowd on a free public night.
The sky tours allow visitors to observe the stars and star systems for themselves through the three different telescopes. Skyler Peña, Centennial Elementary School second grader, was amazed by the power of the Observatory's telescopes. “It's so cool how they can zoom in on planets so you can see them up close” Skyler said. “ I would visit the observatory again, and I’d bring my friends with me too.”
The Insperity Observatory serves as an educational resource not only for the students of Humble ISD, but for the students of Lone Star College at the Montgomery, North Harris and Kingwood campuses. Classes are able to schedule field trips through the observatory’s director, Dr. Aaron Clevenson, to go to the observatory and learn more about the world of astronomy. Dr. Clevenson compared learning astronomy to learning any other science. “You can learn astronomy from a book, but until you practice it in a laboratory, it doesn’t become concrete knowledge” Dr. Clevenson said. “We can’t go out and physically touch the stars, but these telescopes help us make them real for the students.”
While students are only able to observe sunspots during the day, students who are able to attend during the night hours can observe star systems through the three telescopes in the observatory. “The kids get real life hands-on experience by seeing telescopes in action, and it's a good foundation for students interested in astronomy and science of any kind,” Melissa Christensen, Principal of Jack Fields Elementary, said. “Dr. Clevenson is passionate about teaching anyone who is interested in astronomy more about the subject.” To keep the community updated on recent and upcoming astrological events, every few months Dr. Clevenson assembles a two-page document titled “What’s Up Tonight Doc?” detailing the objects and celestial events that will be visible in the evening sky for the next month. The PDF can be downloaded from the Insperity
To visit the Observatory, go to 2505 S. Houston Ave. Humble, TX 77396 on the first Friday of any month, or call 281-641-7827. Groups outside of Humble ISD are now able to make reservations at the Observatory. For more information, contact Observatory Director Dr. Aaron Clevenson
Skyler Peña, Centennial Elementary School second grader, and his mother Perla Pérez look through a telescope at the stars.