Helena E Richardson

When the last class of First College first-years moved out in Spring 2022, they bid their dorm rooms farewell forever. In anticipation of the residential college’s impending demolition, some saved a brick from their building, marked their favorite bench, or signed their names underneath their common room’s stairwell, former First resident Sarina Hegli ’25 recalled.

Lea en inglés aquí. Es una noche tranquila de martes. El cuarto está lleno con luz roja, aire frío, y los susurros de los asistentes alineados en anticipación al ver el cielo. Arriba, una abertura que abarca el diámetro del techo abovedado muestra lo que se ve más adelante; es decir, las luces del cielo. Este cuarto — el observatorio en Peyton Hall — es solo uno de muchos espacios en que la comunidad de Princeton giran sus ojos a las estrellas.

It is a quiet Tuesday night. The room is filled with red light, cold air, and low murmurs of attendees lined up in anticipation of their chance to look. Above, an expanse spanning the domed ceiling’s diameter previews the sights ahead: the lights of the sky. This room — the observatory at Peyton Hall — is just one of several spaces where the Princeton community turns its eyes to the stars. Weather permitting, the observatory is open to the public once a month.