My personal websites explore two interests that I have devoted considerable time researching and writing about, namely the American Civil War and astronomy.
       History of the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry reprises a book long out of print that documents the three-year Civil War experiences of a Union regiment from Central Illinois. Three Soldiers of Valor is my own book that researches the Civil War histories of three of my ancestors that fought for the Union Army during the Civil War.
        Borne from my efforts to manage my planetarium's website, The Current Sky provides a variety of resources for backyard astronomers, including a monthly sky map and information about moon phases, planet locations, and solar and lunar eclipses. Solar Eclipse Diary describes another interest of mine -- observing and photographing solar eclipses. My most recent website, Astro Photo Gallery, contains some of my astronomical photographs.
        I hope that my websites will provide a valuable service to persons with similar interests, and contribute to our collective knowledge of these subject areas.
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. MY INTEREST IN ASTRONOMY

        I have always had an interest in the world around me and the stars above me. Through the efforts of my parents and teachers, coupled with my own frequent use of home encyclopedias, I not only learned the basics of science but, more importantly, I learned to appreciate the beauty of nature and the excitement that comes with unlocking its many mysteries.
        Upon graduation from 8th grade, my parents bought me a small refracting telescope which propelled my interests in the direction of the stars! Though quite small, my first telescope still provided me the opportunity to "discover" the craters of the moon, the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter and the hazy glow from a galaxy over two million light years away! By becoming a member of the Peoria Astronomical Society, I met many veteran stargazers who further supported my fledgling interest in the sky. Within a few years, I was conducting my own amateur observing projects (especially the timing of lunar occultations) and sending my results to offices as far away as Greenwich (England), Washington, D.C. and Tokyo.
        Now living in the western suburbs of Chicago, I am a member of three astronomical societies -- the Chicago Astronomical Society, the Northwest Suburban Astronomers and the Peoria Astronomical Society. I currently observe with three telescopes -- a 3.5-inch Questar, a Coronado MaxScope 40 solar telescope (double stacked) and a 10-inch f/4.5 Newtonian Reflector on a German Equatorial Mount. I ground my own mirror for the last instrument, under the tutelage of telescope maker Dan Joyce. My primary observing interests are the planets (particularly Jupiter and Saturn), lunar occultations, solar astronomy and eclipses. On those rare occasions when I can escape the light pollution of metropolitan Chicago, I also enjoy deep sky observing. To see a few of my astrophotographs, please visit Bart's Astro Photos.
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My first telescope -- a 60mm Tasco refractor given to me as a gift by my parents when I graduated from 8th grade . My second telescope -- a 4.25 inch reflector made by a high school friend of mine .
		With my 10-inch Reflector at Astrofest (photo taken by Jim C.) .
With my Questar 3.5 on the 1998 eclipse cruise near Aruba		With my Coronado MaxScope 40

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COLLEGE AND CAREER

        In college at Bradley University, I received my B.S. degree in Science Communications, a self-designed major that combined courses in physics, astronomy and other natural sciences with those in journalism, technical writing and public relations. After graduation, I accepted a curatorial position with Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences in Peoria, Illinois, where I managed their permanent science exhibits, gave public presentations in the planetarium and taught astronomy classes using the resources of the Lakeview Planetarium and the Peoria Astronomical Society's Northmoor and Jubilee Observatories.
        After three years at Lakeview Museum, I left to accept a position at the Cernan Earth and Space Center on the campus of Triton College in west suburban Chicago. A year and a half later, I was promoted to the position of Director, where I currently supervise a staff of 15, establish long-range goals and policies, manage the budget and departmental expenditures, oversee the production of all educational programs and materials, and produce and manage the Cernan Center's website. In 1993, I received my M.A. degree from DePaul University's School for New Learning in Museum Management and Education.
        The focus of my career in the planetarium and museum environment has always been to make science (especially astronomy) exciting for people of all ages. By doing this, I hope to inspire young people to follow my path toward a lifetime appreciation of the exciting world of science and knowledge.

	Left: Bert Stevens' 2003 discovery image of the minor planet (arrowed) that would eventually be renamed 128065 Bartbenjamin. Right: NASA artwork of an asteroid in the Asteroid Belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.	. . .
In January of 2008, astronomer Bert Stevens informed me that he was recommending that Minor Planet 128065, which he discovered from his Desert Moon Observatory in July of 2003, be renamed (128065) Bartbenjamin in honor of my many years of “making astronomy exciting for the public.” In March of 2008, The Minor Planet Center, which serves as the world clearinghouse for minor planet discoveries, announced that his recommendation had become official. More information about this asteroid, along with Bert’s citation near the bottom of the page, can be found here. Minor planet (128065) Bartbenjamin is probably between 1.9 and 2.6 kilometers (1.2 to 1.6 miles) in size, irregularly shaped, and made of carbon-based rock.         Stevens’ self-proclaimed mission in life is to discover minor planets and “help protect the Earth from celestial impacts.” Since his volunteer observations began in 2001, this former Chicagoan who now resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico has reported thousands of minor planet and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) observations, the latter of which could potentially warn Earthlings of impending disaster from the skies. Only through advanced photographic techniques, large amateur-sized telescopes, dark skies, and incredible patience can such small and distant objects be discovered. Thank you, Bert!

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MY INTEREST IN CIVIL WAR HISTORY
.         Although the seeds of my interest in America's Civil War were no doubt planted during my childhood, they did not blossom until I watched Ken Burns' widely acclaimed television series, The Civil War on PBS. This wonderful series was a transformation for me, and it breathed life into an interest I didn't even know I had.
        I immediately sought to learn more about this fascinating era of American history. I soon discovered (with help from my aunt and uncle, the family genealogists) that I had several ancestors who fought for the Union army during the war. Specifically, I am a descendant of:

Private Samuel Kirkman (Company K, 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry)
Private Job Benjamin (Company C, 76th OhioVolunteer Infantry)
Private Wilson Benjamin (Company D, 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry)

        Thus began the research project that led to my Three Soldiers of Valor book. When I completed my 182-page work in 1992, I thought it would only be read by family members and a few close friends. But with the advent and growth of the Internet, I soon realized that I could "publish" my work and make its contents available to others who may be interested in reading it. Better still, I could easily update an online version of my work, and thereby incorporate new discoveries into my work in a manner that would prove cumbersome to update in a hard-copy version. In early 2002, I completed the first major online revision of my book.
        While researching the Civil War record of one of my ancestors, one major source of information was History of the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was published in 1883. Since the book is long out of print and is now difficult to find, I decided to provide an additional service to Civil War researchers by digitizing this book and making it available on the Internet. By doing so, I could help other people research particular Civil War battles, trace certain Union regiments or gain a first-hand appreciation for the day-to-day life of a Union soldier.

        By creating these websites, I hope to find Civil War scholars and amateur researchers like myself who are willing to share information and add to our collective knowledge of Civil War history. My "best case scenario" would be to find someone who has in their possession letter and/or diaries written by civil war soldiers affiliated with my own ancestors, particularly the 77th Illinois, 76th Ohio or 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantries. I would appreciate the opportunity to incorporate these new documents into my evolving work. Any material used in subsequent revisions of Three Soldiers of Valor would be given prominent credit. Please feel free to e-mail me. Thank you for visiting!
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I'M ALSO A WIKIPEDIAN

        In January of 2005, I discovered Wikipedia, a web-based free encyclopedia that is openly edited, freely readable and sponsored by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. I quickly realized Wikipedia's limitless potential, and I was excited by the prospect of adding my own research to the collective knowledge contained in Wikipedia's thousands of digital pages. For more on my specific contributions, please visit my Wikipedia User Page.

MY LATEST VENTURE  . . . I  CYCLE TO SUPPORT
THE LANCE ARMSTRONG FOUNDATION

        In the spring of 2007, I purchased a Trek 7500 hybrid bicycle and began riding the local streets and bicycle paths near my home in west suburban Chicago. Soon, I was not only riding for sheer enjoyment, but to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the 10 million people in this country who are currently living with, through or beyond cancer. In particular, I cycle for those people in my life who have been touched by cancer, most notably my parents. For more information, please visit my "One For All" page.

Bart Benjamin
April, 2008

E-mail me

Tammy and Bart in Key West, Florida.
Our three cats:
Miss Kitty	Comet	Bandit

 

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Last Updated: April 15, 2008