Past Residencies - Dean Regas

A man stands smiling with a black sweater that says "Cincinnati Observatory" on it. The background shows out of focus colorful canyon walls and cliffs of red and white.

Dean Regas has been the outreach astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory since 2000 and was co-host of the PBS program “Star Gazers” from 2010 to 2019. He is the author of the books “Facts from Space” and “100 things to See in the Night Sky,” and is a contributing editor to Sky and Telescope Magazine and Astronomy Magazine. In 2008, he won the “Out-of-this-World” Award for astronomy education. Regas has written over 150 astronomy articles for the Cincinnati Enquirer, has blogged for the Huffington Post, and is regularly featured on television and radio. He is also a frequent guest on National Public Radio’s Science Friday and NPR’s Here & Now, and hosts his own astronomy podcast with Anna Hehman called Looking Up!

As Grand Canyon's second Astronomer in Residence, Dean spent his time providing public programs on a myriad of astronomy subjects, from the 1969 Moon landing, to constellation tours, to tours of the universe using the latest software. He provided multiple Facebook live sessions for Grand Canyon's online following and conducted several solar viewing and telescope viewing sessions along the South Rim.

 
A man stands next to a long white telescope in the daytime. Three masked women stand in a line, one woman looks through the scope.
Dean provided several informal telescope viewing sessions for visitors on the South Rim during his three-week residency.

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Residency Accomplisments

 
An audience sits at night shrouded in red light. The aisle is in the center of the image. A man stands at the end of the aisle with a red light.
Dean Regas provided constellation talks for three evenings for visitors down at Phantom Ranch, the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

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  • November 24, 25, 26th: "Constellation Talk: Join Dean Regas to learn the science, mythology, and history of the the stars under one of the darkest night skies in the world." Phantom Ranch- 120 total attendees
  • December 3rd: "Tour of the Universe: Join Dean Regas as he uses the latest software to tour through space among billions of stars and galaxies." Shrine of the Ages Auditorium - 75 attendees
  • December 4th: "Constellation Talk: Join Dean Regas to learn the science, mythology, and history of the the stars under one of the darkest night skies in the world." Grand Canyon Visitor Center - 200 attendees
  • December 5th: "Constellation Talk" for local Grand Canyon residents and employees.
  • 4 informal telescope viewing sessions: 255 visitor contacts
  • 2 total solar viewing sessions: 195 visitor contacts
  • End of Residency Interview with Astronomer in Residence Dean Regas
 
A silhouetted man stands in front of the Milky Way. Text below describes public programs. The text on the image is summarized in this article above.
Dean Regas provided free public programs on the South Rim during his residency, celebrating Grand Canyon's pristine night skies.

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An audience sits in an auditorium. An image of the solar system is displayed on a large screen at the front.
Dean Regas presented "A Tour of the Universe" to 75 visitors in the Shrine of the Ages Auditorium as part of his residency.

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A red-lit audience stands outside under a sky full of stars.
Dean Regas presented several constellation talks for visitors during his residency, sharing the science, mythology, and history of the stars under one of the darkest night skies in the world.

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Last updated: March 28, 2022

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