Imagine walking to the store for ice cream and stumbling upon a free opportunity to see Saturn’s rings right there on the sidewalk. That’s exactly what’s been happening to thousands of lucky pedestrians thanks to PopScope, the urban astronomy movement that just celebrated completing their 500th pop-up event. Founded in Ottawa in 2014, this volunteer-run group has brought 26,000 people closer to the night sky using a beautifully simple approach: set up telescopes in public areas, point them at celestial objects, and invite passersby to take a look.
What happens next is pure magic, as jaws drop and eyes widen when strangers peer through the eyepiece to see Jupiter’s moons coming into focus through the city’s light-filled sky. Co-founder Michael O’Shea says the project has created deep friendships among volunteers, all motivated by witnessing that moment of awe when someone sees Saturn’s rings for the first time or hears cries of delight viewing the Moon’s detailed craters. The movement has expanded from Canada to cities across the U.S. and even hosted pop-ups in Ireland, Malawi, and India, proving that wonder knows no borders. Often, what starts as a conversation about planets turns into discussions about neighborhoods, life, and new friendships, with one 55-year-old participant saying it was the best thing that happened to them all day.