Growing up in Sisters, local astronomer and astrophotographer Grant Tandy admits that he never fully realized how unique his childhood was until later in life. In hindsight, growing up surrounded by nature and dark skies was a truly formative experience for him, and one he now realizes not everyone gets to experience.
“My dad was a silviculturist for the Forest Service for 42 years, so we spent a lot of time outdoors. That really fostered a deep appreciation for the natural world,” reflects Tandy. He recalls time spent with both his grandfather and father viewing highlights of the night sky during his youth and recognizes that these experiences greatly informed what he is doing now.
After graduating from Sisters High School in 2011, Tandy became obsessed with the night sky. “I remember pulling over to the side of the road just to gaze up at the night sky and realized what an amazing opportunity we have here. Somehow, I felt relief that there was so much more out there. I wanted to share that with people.”
Tandy began taking classes at COCC. In the winter of 2013, he took an astronomy class with Bob Grossfeld, manager at the Oregon Observatory in Sunriver. It was during this time that Tandy began working seasonally there.
“Working at the Oregon Observatory was a real opportunity to gain tangible experience working with telescopes, finding and identifying objects and learning from others,” states Tandy. “This was a chance to be around people doing the same thing, seeing how they did things and explained things. It’s so important to find easy ways to explain the immense scale of time, distance, size, and all things related to astronomy that can be hard to grasp.”
In 2017, Tandy heard talk of a new observatory being built at Worthy Brewing on the east side of Bend. “I’m really good at getting my foot in the door, so when I first heard about the Worthy observatory, I started emailing, offering to help,” Tandy says. “I was given an opportunity to be part of the project and later became the facilitator for the observatory. I’ve been there for over six years now.” A research-grade telescope, the Hopservatory is open to the public Thursday through Saturday.
Since 2018, Tandy has also been a NASA Solar System Ambassador. A project of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, there are 900 ambassadors in the U.S., all in public education roles.
“When people come into the observatory or I am doing an educational program, I want to be fun and funny, along with informative,” Tandy notes. “I don’t want to be so serious that people are not interested. I’m usually speaking to a wide variety of people, from five-year-olds to those in their 90’s. I want to reach them all.”
Family, friends, and co-workers agree that Tandy possesses an innate ability to connect to others, engaging and inspiring them. According to friend and artist Karen Eland, “I think Grant’s ability to share from his extensive knowledge while also making people laugh is a true gift. He seamlessly answers questions and inspires more, all with his quick sense of humor and keeping it fun. It’s rare to find someone who has both the knowledge and spontaneous public speaking skills Grant does.”
“I met Grant in 2020 when I began volunteering at the Worthy Hopservatory,” explains William Meadows, a retired electrical engineer and life-long amateur astronomer. “Grant really delights in revealing the wonders of the night sky, especially to people who are looking through a telescope for the first time. I am always amazed by how much detailed information he knows off the top of his head. He is skilled at making the incomprehensible easy to understand, describing the vast scale of our universe in terms simple enough for a child. This makes him especially good at public outreach.”
If the title of astronomer were not enough, Tandy is also an accomplished, respected, and somewhat renowned astrophotographer with photos in print locally, regionally, and beyond.
Completely self-taught, Tandy began exploring astrophotography to capture the views he was experiencing while working at the Oregon Observatory, wanting to share those views with others. His astrophotography is, in many ways, unique. “With most astronomy photos, there is no perspective, just a photo of an object without anything to compare it to,” Tandy explains. “I like to try to connect the night sky with a foreground that allows you to see earth and the human element in connection with the sky.”
Tandy is also an advocate, working to raise awareness regarding light pollution. “I work with the nonprofit organization Dark Sky Oregon,” states Tandy. This group has been responsible for installing a network of light pollution meters around the state, a dozen of which are in Central Oregon, allowing light pollution and its progression to be monitored.
Dark skies are measurable. The Bortle dark sky scale is a numeric scale from one to nine that uses data to rate the brightness of the night sky, with the darkest skies a level one to the brightest skies ranked a level nine. “The center of Southeast Oregon, including the area we call the Oregon Outback, is still the largest level one dark sky area in the country,” Tandy says. It may come as no surprise that the brightest area in the country, at a level nine, is New York City.
“We have long been monitoring air pollution and water pollution, but something that is affecting bird migration and insect and human circadian rhythm, as well as using a lot of power, was not being monitored,” Tandy remarks. “This network of light meters is one of the first like this and it is showing us that Bend is experiencing a six-to-eight percent sky brightness increase per year.”
A passion for everything he does is evident when speaking with Tandy. “I’ve never really been driven by money; I’ve always wanted to do things that feel like I have a purpose. I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Success is when something I said inspires someone to learn more on their own,” he notes. “I want to cultivate people’s curiosity. Because if you do that, generally you spark something in them about this broader picture and help them prioritize the human experience.”
“What I’d like people to know about my son, Grant, is that he is a self-made guy,” shares Brian Tandy. “By that I mean that everything Grant is today, he has done primarily on his own volition. That’s not to say he hasn’t had help along the way, but the knowledge he has gained over the years in astronomy and photography has been largely self-taught. He is a deeply curious individual, and I think that is what drives his passion for learning and becoming the best he can be at whatever piques his interest.”
Tandy can be found some nights at various locations offering Sidewalk Astronomy, something that’s been around for over 100 years. According to his Instagram page, “What fascinates me is the possibility that someone could live their entire life without ever looking through a telescope, only to suddenly encounter Jupiter on a street corner.”
Some new educational partnerships have begun to take place with organizations such as Visit Bend, where Tandy teaches about dark skies and light pollution. A possible future dream is creating a mobile observatory that could bring astronomy and night sky views to communities that typically do not have access to these programs.
“If you have never experienced the night sky in any meaningful way, you are looking at an entirely different universe than someone that has,” says Tandy. “It changes your perspective, and we need this connection to find a more balanced way of being alive.”
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