The growing interest in astronomy in southeastern Manitoba has made its way to Steinbach, where a local Grade 10 student has formed a unique connection with the Astro Club, a mobile stargazing group founded by Kenton Dyck.
Dyck, who launched the club after discovering a love for astronomy during the final months of the pandemic, says the goal has always been to make space science accessible.
“At the heart of the awe-inspiring Crescent Nebula lies an absolute powerhouse: a Wolf–Rayet star, one of the most extreme objects in the universe!” – Kenton Dyck, Astro Club (Photo Credit: Kenton Dyck)
“It was a very exciting time for astronomy and space travel,” he said. “As I started to study it more, I realized that there is a difference between knowledge and understanding.”
Curiosity leads to connection
For Steinbach student Grady Warwick, that accessibility came at just the right moment.
Warwick first learned about the Astro Club during the fall when his dad learned about a public stargazing night in Steinbach in early fall.
Although he had been interested in space for several years, Warwick says he wasn’t yet into stargazing itself. That changed the night he showed up.
Warwick says he initially found it intimidating due to the number of people who showed up. But it all changed when he got to use the telescopes.
“He had two of his telescopes there. I think he had the 8-inch and the 12-inch.”
Seeing planets and stars through a telescope for the first time made an immediate impression.
“It was very, very interesting to see everything up close,” Warwick said. “I’d never seen anything like that before.”
Within days, he reached out to Dyck through Instagram to ask if he could volunteer at future events.
Gaining hands-on experience
Warwick quickly became involved, helping at three or four Astro Club events in the region.
“The first few times he just basically taught me how to set everything up and how everything works,” he said. “Then I would help out with some of the people if they had any questions.”
Dyck says he wants the Astro Club to be an open resource for anyone interested in learning more about the sky.
Warwick says that support has played a part in shaping his own future goals.
“For the past few years, I’ve been thinking about going into astrophysics and astronomy,” he said.
Grady Warwick and Kenton Dyck with six telescopes. (Photo submitted)
Supporting growth of the club
His involvement has grown beyond volunteering. As part of an entrepreneurship class, Warwick and his classmates launched a small sticker business.
“So sometimes he (Dyck) goes around to schools and does little presentations about stargazing,” Warwick said. “He’s going to hand out some of the stickers we made for him to the kids there.”
The stickers, designed with astronomy themes and the Astro Club name, are meant to help spark interest among younger audiences.
Stargazing at home
Warwick’s enthusiasm has also grown at home.
“Recently I got my own telescope, so he’s been helping me out a lot with that,” he said.
Warwick has already used it to host small stargazing sessions with friends. “I set it up in my local rec area and invited some of my friends out,” he said. “We looked at Jupiter, Saturn, Beetlejuice and a couple other stars.”
His parents have also been supportive, driving him to both local and out-of-town events.
“We’ve gone to two or three in Steinbach and then three in Winkler.”
Inspiring the next generation
Dyck says connections like this one are exactly why he built a mobile club rather than having it set up in a stationary space. He hopes more young people in the region will follow Warwick’s example and explore what astronomy has to offer.
“If there’s anything that Astro Club can help with, please reach out,” Dyck said.
Warwick says he plans to keep learning, observing, and helping where he can.
For both Warwick and Dyck, the night sky has turned into more than a hobby. It has become a shared passion that continues to grow with each new discovery.