Blankets covered the grass next to Elon’s Lake Verona as students looked up, waiting for the moon to rise from behind the trees.
Elon University’s semesterly Stargazing for Mental Health event brought together the Astronomy Club, the Office of Sustainability and campus neighborhoods to create a space centered on reflection in the outdoors.
Students picked up space-themed snacks, like moon pies, and entered a raffle to win a free telescope while waiting for the sun to set.
Before the stargazing began, Itumeleng Shadreck, a counselor and outreach coordinator, led the group in a brief meditation where attendees were asked to focus on releasing stress with each exhale. The exercise was used to introduce the events focus on being intentional with time outside.
Elon senior Calista Quirk said she came to the event after hearing about it from her advisor, who helped organize it and sparked her curiosity.
“I’m looking forward to learning how stargazing pertains to mental health,” Quirk said. “But I am also really excited to just get out and see the stars.”
The event also included a discussion on light pollution led by Elon junior and Sustainability Stewards intern for the Office of Sustainability, Sam Montgomery. He said most people are unable to see a fully clear night sky from where they live.
“About 80% of the world lives under polluted skies,” Montgomery said. “Most of the world can’t see the Milky Way at night, including us.”
Montgomery said his goal for this event was to raise awareness about how artificial lighting impacts both the environment and people's daily lives. He said that while many students care about sustainability, he is concerned with how few take steps to engage with it.
“I want people putting action into what they actually care about,” Montgomery said.
When the stars came out, the group walked from Danieley Commons to the lake and gathered around telescopes aimed at the night sky.
Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics and advisor of the Astronomy Club, said the event is part of an effort to get students outside and engaged with the night sky.
For Moreau, one of the most meaningful moments at this event is when students look through a telescope for the first time.
“When people see a planet in a telescope, they gasp,” Moreau said. “That's what it's all about.”
Moreau said the event is much bigger than just observing planets.
“I think that's what the human experience is about, is looking at where we are in the universe and realizing we're just one part of that,” Moreau said.