Your Neighbor: Eve Plews

By day, licensed nutrition counselor Eve Plews examines the human body, but, by night, she studies the sky. Plews is the founder of Meet the Sky, a monthly event during which stargazers observe the night sky with telescopes and binoculars.

Plews founded Meet the Sky in 2010 to share her love of astronomy with others. The first meeting attracted less than 10 people — today Meet the Sky draws a crowd of more than 30.

Meet the Sky is held the first Monday of every month at Siesta Beach Pavilion. On a clear dark night attendees can see as far as Pluto — 3.5 billion miles away — using Plews’ 6-inch telescope.

Plews’ interest in astronomy began as a child, when she would lie on the roof of her parents’ car and gaze at planets and constellations.

Before studying medical botany at Northern Arizona University in the mid-’80s, Plews pursued her interest in the night sky by taking classes in astronomy at St. Petersburg Junior College in the late ’70s.

“I realized one day when I looked up that I didn’t know anything,” she says.

Since then, she has traveled around the world to explore the sky. She even met her husband, Dennis, at a meeting of an astronomy club, The Local Group of Deep Sky Observers, in 1990.

“We really are star-crossed lovers,” she says.

Plews says one of her favorite things about the sky is its ever-changing nature.

“There’s always something new,” she says.

Neighborhood: Gulf Gate
Your neighbor since: 2004

IN HER OWN WORDS: “It’s a quiet neighborhood that’s conveniently located close to work.” — Eve Plews

Contact Harriet Sokmensuer at [email protected]