HEATH — Do you ever look up at the sky in amazement and wonder what you are looking at? All your celestial questions can be answered during an evening tour of the sky with the Rev. Jonathan Rehmus.

Over Labor Day weekend, four astronomy programs will be held at Benson Place Blueberry Farm on Flagg Hill Road. The programs will begin at 8:30 p.m. Friday through Monday, as weather allows, and typically end around 10:30 p.m.

The programs are supported by grants from the Heath Cultural Council through the Mass Cultural Council. The Heath site involves a short walk into the blueberry fields where a ridgetop location offers a wide expanse of the sky dome. Those with mobility limitations are encouraged to contact Rehmus in advance to discuss any needed accommodations.

“These programs are great for all ages. Though they focus on naked-eye observation, people are encouraged to bring binoculars if they have them,” Rehmus said.

Rehmus has been leading such tours for community, school, and church groups for 30 years after studying astronomy at Amherst College and then training in astronomy education at the University of California at Irvine.

“After all the interest in the spring solar eclipse, people might want to take another step in their appreciation of these celestial gifts all around us, often night after night,” he said. 

Rehmus said his interest in astronomy was sparked when he was a child and his brother had a poster of the Andromeda Galaxy hanging in his room. Rehmus was curious and wanted to learn more. Later experiences stargazing, and astronomy classes in college solidified his interest in the universe.

“I was hooked for life at that point,” he said.

On tarps with quilts and blankets over them for warmth, attendees lay back and are treated to the science, lore, and cartography of this season’s celestial dome.

“It’s important to dress warmly in layers — I encourage wool socks with hat and gloves — because then folks can enjoy the experience for longer. We’re blessed by the Benson Place’s willingness to host the program: it’s an exquisitely beautiful site, day and night. Yet even in the summer, it can get cool and dewy; your own blanket is welcome,” Rehmus said.

The sky is dynamic force and no two nights of stargazing are alike, but there are a few things that can typically be counted on in the northern hemisphere during the summer months.

“Some constellations and stars are as much harbingers of the seasons for me as changing foliage or the emergence of daffodils are for others. This is a great time of year in terms of the evening skies. The setting summer constellations of Libra, Scorpius, and Sagittarius are to the south and southwest, out of which rises the spoke of the Milky Way into the zenith,” Rehmus said.

He said viewers can see the “Summer Triangle,” an asterism (i.e. star-shape as opposed to a constellation) “composed of the wonderfully bright orbs of Vega, Altair, and Deneb. And high to the west and also setting will be the beautiful star “White Hawk” (as known to the Shawnee people; Arcturus from the ancient Greeks), found easily by following the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle.”

“Jon offers the community important and accessible knowledge to individuals, families, and particularly children that unfortunately is not common nowadays,” says Jonathan Crowley of Shelburne who has attended past Sky Tours.

Katy Eiseman is president of the non-profit Hilltown Vision and has twice hosted Rehmus’s program in Cummington.

“Jon can guide you deep into the sky and help awaken you to our collective past — and our collective present, contemplating our place in the universe,” she said. 

Those interested in participating should check the forecast for clear skies before coming. If anyone has questions, would like to bring a telescope, or would like an email reminder of the dates, contact Jonathan Rehmus at revrehmus@gmail.com or call 413-624-3025.

Reach Madison Schofield at mschofield@recorder.com.