CCA Previews ’19: Astronomy Club

Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Arron Tan (19S03C), Chairperson

Being an astronomer is not easy. It is intense, it is demanding, it is tiring. You will have to stay up late. You will have to deal with the weather. You will have to deal with being in the most light-polluted country on Earth. From the get go, our CCA trial will be held at night, from 6.30 to 9.30. You will have to free up your Friday nights. Once you are in the CCA, events will come at you once every month. You will have to catch up on the knowledge required. You will have to move heavy telescopes. You will not only be physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted. We are not doing astrology; there is no wishing upon a star, no palm reading or tarot cards, no birth chart wheels.

As a new Year 5 student, reading all the CCA previews to decide which CCA to try for, you may be wondering: why would I even consider this CCA? Maybe you have been doing music for the better part of your teenage life, and you are trying to find the CCA preview for a musical ensemble. Maybe you are looking for the CCA preview for cross country. Maybe it is the Art Club that you are looking for. Maybe you are trying to find a Physics CCA, and so far the only one close to that is us. Maybe you are just wondering; who in their right minds would promote their CCA like this?

Well, we are astronomers. We are a group of people with a burning passion, rooted in the very stars that made us. We are a niche yet diverse group of people; astrobiologists interested in life beyond us, astrophysicists interested in the intricacies of the universe, practical astronomers and astrophotographers that find beauty within our universe. Yes – you may say that it is an impractical CCA. Yes – you may say that it is exhausting. And yes – you may say that it is pointless.

But for those that look up, we know that it is worth it. For those who have ever looked at Jupiter’s flowing cloud bands and Great Red Spot, for those that have marvelled at Saturn’s rings and the craters on the moon, we know that it is well worth it. Those tiring nights spent lifting scopes, the nights mulling over equations on a book, the nights spent with other like-minded people; well that’s just part of the fun, isn’t it? Even in the multitude of competitions, carnivals and community outreach events we organize, we know that sharing this joy brings us the greatest joy of all.