Thursday, October 1, 2026
For years, people have been fascinated with space and all that it entails – the moon, stars, planets, remains of the Death Star — but due to all of the light pollution in the area, space has become more and more difficult to see. Now, one Lynbrook man is taking his love for astronomy and sharing it with the people of Lynbrook in an attempt to pique their interests and get them thinking about space.
Tom Lynch, a Lynbrook resident for the last 20 years, launched Sidewalk Astronomy in Lynbrook in October 2011. Lynch brings his personal telescope to a well-trafficked area in the village and allows people to get a close-up view of the moon, constellations and visible planets.
He usually sets up his telescope on the parking lot side of the Atlantic Avenue Walkthrough, and said that so far more than 400 people have looked through his telescope in the estimated 13 times he’s had it set up.
“I’m happy to do this and just give people a chance to see it,” Lynch said, “and maybe it will affect some kids and lead them to become astronomers.”
Lynch has been interested in astronomy ever since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the moon in 1969. He took classes on the subject in college, but never pursued a career in the field because he didn’t think he could make a living as an astronomer without becoming a teacher. Lynch said one of his astronomy professors as St. John’s University once told him to change his major to astronomy because his love for the subject was so evident. He continued to pursue a degree in accounting and now works as an accountant in Manhattan, although his love for astronomy never wavered.
Fifteen years ago, Lynch joined the Amateur Observers Society of New York and bought his first telescope shortly thereafter. In recent years, he said, he and his fellow amateur astronomers have organized sidewalk astronomy sessions outside of concert halls, where there are plenty of people to use their telescopes.
