The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces — co-founded by Clyde Tombaugh — gives people a glimpse of the night skies

The demographic of The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces is wide-ranging, from the complete novice to the life-long student of the universe.

Take outgoing ASLC President Timothy Kostelecky, for example. His interest in astronomy dates back decades.

“I’ve been doing this since, to put a date on it, 1962,” said Kostelecky, who completed his two-year term as ASLC president at the end of 2024. “I ended up getting a small book called ‘The Stars.’ It was one of those field guides. And I went out and started learning some constellations and stars and it just kind of blew up from there. So it’s been a lifelong hobby for me. It’s been great.”

To infinity and beyond: The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces - co-founded by Clyde Tombaugh - gives people a glimpse of the night skies

Originally formed in 1951, the ASLC’s founding members include the likes of astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who was credited with the discovery of Pluto in 1930. But again, it’s important to note that one doesn’t need to be an elite in the field to take part.

“I think that astronomy is one of those things that you can benefit (from), especially just starting out,” Kostelecky said. “You can benefit by being with a group of experienced people and people who want to share their knowledge … Everybody likes to talk about what to do and they like to help. They like to educate folks, whether it be (grade) school kids, high school kids or adults.”

Joining an astronomy club can also help with the learning curve, which can be frustrating for a newcomer — especially when it comes to some of the more technical aspects such as learning to operate a telescope.

“Being around people and part of a club, it just raises the interest level,” Kostelecky added. “You just learn a lot. You have a probably greater success of continuing along with the hobby instead of trying to struggle through it on your own.”

Over the years, the ASLC’s areas of emphasis have shifted.

“It’s evolved quite a bit,” Kostelecky said. “We used to do a lot of hands-on educational programs and telescope building. But that has changed a bit, as well. It’s a bit less hands-on. Our focus now is mostly on outreach programs.”

Some programs offered on a monthly basis are the ASLC’s MoonGaze programs, which are often held at the Downtown Plaza de Las Cruces on the Saturday evening closest to the first-quarter moon. What transpires from there is something Kostelecky refers to as a “sidewalk astronomy session.”

“We set up our scope. We set up a sign explaining who we are, and we just wait for people to come by and take a look through the scope at the moon or at the planets,” he said.

ASLC also holds multiple dark sky observing events. This month, these will occur at Leasburg Dam State Park on Saturday, Jan. 18, Rockhound State Park on Friday, Jan. 17, and City of Rocks State Park on Jan. 18. The latter two are held through an extension of the club in Deming, which Kostelecky says is known as “ASLC West.” Each of the events provides the opportunity to view the night sky through various types of telescopes. These are the moments which could potentially spark an epiphany within a novice observer.

“I think that this is something that we get a lot of satisfaction with our membership in serving the community,” Kostelecky said. “… And if you talk to astronomers that got involved with the hobby, what really piqued their interest was one of the first views through the telescope and seeing something like Saturn. Where, it’s there, and it’s just as crisp and clear as can be. That’s the real satisfying aspect is really opening people’s eyes.”

ASLC membership is currently at about 90 people. Annual dues are $36 per individual or $42 per family. A noteworthy perk of membership is the ability to borrow from the club’s selection of telescopes — which allows something of a trial run before making a purchase. Kostelecky is especially encouraged by one recent trend in the membership profile, a sign that multiple generations are still intrigued by the night skies.

“We’ve had a really nice influx of some younger members,” he said. “This is something that we needed. This is something that astronomy clubs nationwide had an issue with, is the graying of their membership and having a tough time bringing in new folks. We were concerned about that for a little bit, but I would say in the last few years, we’ve gotten some younger folks.”