Kevin and Steve have come to be known as the ever-watchful, quietly-cooing (and often-pooing) stewards of the Observatory Dome. They perch atop the dome keeping track of the stars, planets, and Open House attendees.
Kevin and Steve–you should know–are no ordinary birds. Legend has it that they were once renowned astronomers from a distant galaxy, transformed into pigeons by a mysterious celestial entity who wanted to prove a point about humility after an unfortunate prank gone awry. There are no specific records of what indeed upset the entity, but it is said to have involved what we’ll simply refer to as “droppings.” Regardless, as they are now stuck in their avian forms on Earth, Kevin and Steve decided to make the best of their situation.
Kevin, the more contemplative of the two, claims to have invented a theory of celestial events that he calls “Star Pecking.” Star Pecking involves pecking at spots on the dome that align with stars in the night sky. Although Kevin is quite proud of his supposed ability to forecast meteor showers and eclipses, Steve–ever the skeptic–chalks it all up to coincidence.
Steve, on the other hand, spends his days devising elaborate flight patterns meant to mimic the orbits of planets. With a keen eye for detail, he prides himself on his precise “orbital flights,” which he believes help keep the cosmos in balance. He’s often seen circling the dome in what he insists are not random patterns, but careful astronomical alignments.
During the UMBC Observatory Open Houses, the celestial pigeon duo maintain their roles as whimsical overseers from atop the dome. As dusk deepens and the stars begin to twinkle, their silhouettes merge with the shadowy curves of the Observatory, making them nearly invisible to the attendees below.
However, their presence is felt more in the spirit of the event. The staff and regular visitors share tales of the pigeons’ quirky habits and supposed star-tracking antics, weaving a rich tapestry of lore that adds to the fun of the night’s stargazing activities. These stories inspire visitors to look up not only through telescopes, but with their imaginations, pondering what Kevin might be pecking at or the path Steve is silently gliding along in the night sky.
As Kevin and Steve begin to focus on how to finally appease the celestial entity that forced them into their feathery form, it’s up to us to help them track Open House attendance. Please take a Pigeon Passport, write your name on it, and use it to track your own participation in Open House and other UMBC Observatory events. After attending four such events, you can be inducted as a Perching Pigeon, and claim your own small space on the Observatory Dome.
