​Hello Horizons Observatory Supporters,
Please be aware that the Horizons Observatory WILL be open to the public to view Sunday night’s (January 20th) Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse.  The dome will open from 11:15pm-12:45am for moon gazing with the observatory's 14' Celestron telescope as-well-as binocular viewing.  

Total eclipse begins: 11:41pm
Greatest eclipse: 12:13am
​Total eclipse ends: 12:43am
 
We know this is really late at night, but school is not in session the next day (due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day) so students (and maybe some adults!) will be able to sleep in the following day. Dress super warmly!  Please do not bring flashlights since this will reduce our ability to view the sky.  
PLEASE NOTE: This event will be cancelled if the sky is cloudy. 
However, if the sky is clear, we're looking forward to seeing you and your friends!

Woodstock, VT: On Saturday May 12, 2018, the Horizons Observatory will host a star party in partnership with the Springfield Telescope Makers (STM) of the Stellafane Observatory and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. The event will be located at the Horizons Observatory at Prosper Valley School (1071 Pomfret Road, Pomfret, Vermont) and will free and open to the public.
 
At 8:30 pm Rob Hanson (co-director of the Horizons Observatory) will make a 30 minute presentation entitled A Cosmic Sense of Place.  At 9:00 pm, members of the Springfield Telescope Makers will have a variety of telescopes, many of them handmade, set up on the grounds and will be aiming them at a variety of deep-sky objects such as galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and planets for visitors to explore and enjoy. Rangers will also have an activity booth for astronomy-based junior ranger activities.
 
The event will occur regardless of weather. In the event of rain or heavy clouds, night sky viewing may not be possible but the presentation will happen regardless of weather.
 
Attending a night sky viewing event comes with some etiquette conventions that may be unfamiliar to first-time attendees but which enhance viewing conditions for everyone. Most importantly, bright, white lights are discouraged at night sky viewing events; bright lights ruin your night vision and the night vision of those around you. Attendees are encouraged to bring a red-light flashlight or a flashlight with a red lens or with a red piece of plastic covering the bulb. There will be a limited number of red glow sticks available for those without a red flashlight. Even with red lenses, use your light sparingly; on a clear night, your eyes will adjust quickly to the dark conditions. It is also important to remember that telescopes are expensive and that many of the telescopes at this event are hand-crafted and difficult to replace. Please follow the instructions of the STM member staffing the scope you are looking through. And finally, ask lots of questions. The amateur astronomers who are bringing their telescopes to this event love the night sky and sharing it with others.
 
The Horizons Observatory was founded in the summer of 2004 with a vision of creating a small astronomical observatory to serve local schools and the general public as a resource for science education in the greater Woodstock area.   To this end, ongoing stargazing events are hosted by the Horizons Observatory throughout the year.  (To be placed on the Horizons listserve, simply go to www.horizonsobservatory.org, click on “Blog”, type in your email address in the space provided, and click “Submit”.)   As well, local students have taken over one hundred stunning photographs of galaxies, nebulae, planets, and globular clusters under the guidance of local docents.   These images may be viewed in the gallery section on the Horizons Observatory website.
 
The Springfield Telescope Makers is a club founded by amateur telescope maker Russell Porter in 1923. The club is devoted to promoting the practice of crafting high-quality telescopes by amateur astronomers. The club owns and maintains the Stellafane Observatory on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vermont, at which it offers free mirror-grinding workshops in the winter months and hosts the annual Stellafane Convention of amateur telescope builders and night sky enthusiasts in the summer. More information about the Springfield Telescope Makers, the Stellafane Observatory and the Stellafane Convention can be found at www.stellafane.org.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, located in Woodstock, Vermont, is the only unit of the national park system established to tell the story of the history of the conservation movement in America. That story is told through the lives, experiences, and contributions of George Perkins Marsh, Frederick and Julia Billings, and Mary and Laurance Rockefeller, all of whom lived and explored the forests and fields that now make up the park. The park is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October. For more information, call 802-457-3368 or visit www.nps.gov/mabi.
 

On the evening of Saturday, March 31st the Horizons Observatory will partner with the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and Billings Farm to offer a free night sky event.  Starting at 7:30 pm at the Billings Farm parking lot with Horizons Observatory director Rob Hanson, we’ll witness the full moon rising over the fields of Billings Farm (weather permitting).  A telescope and astronomical binoculars will be available for viewing the moon and a number of other bright celestial objects.
 
Dress appropriately for an early spring evening outside.  Cloudy skies will cancel the event.
​

​On the evening of Saturday, November 4th the Horizons Observatory will partner with the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park to offer a free night sky event.  Starting at 5:30 pm in the Park’s Visitor’s Center, Rob Hanson (co-director of The Horizons Observatory) will present a simulation both describing and explaining the phases of our moon, a pattern which has occurred for more than four billion years.  After the presentation, we’ll step outside to witness the full moon rising over the fields of Billings Farm (weather permitting).  A telescope and astronomical binoculars will be available for viewing.  Please note, the moon phase presentation will occur regardless of the weather.
 
Dress appropriately for an autumn evening outside.  We're looking forward to seeing you and your friends for a night beneath November’s “Full Beaver Moon”!
 
 

Saw this in the Hartford List serve. For those not in the list serve here's what you missed.
Scott H.
​
Brain Buzz: Hidden Figures in Astronomy: The Harvard Computers
Jan 25, 2017 6:00 pm 
Vermont Institute of Natural Science 
6565 Woodstock Road, Quechee, VT 05059
Ever wonder what you are looking at in the night sky? Curious how early astronomers investigated space?  Dartmouth graduate student, Mackenzie Jones, will introduces us to astronomy’s “hidden figures”, the Harvard Computers, and takes us on an in-depth exploration of their accomplishments at a time when women astronomers were rare.  If weather permits, we will be outdoors to observe the stars and constellations discovered by these women.  Come stargaze with us! This special Brain Buzz event will be held at the VINS Nature Center, 6565 Woodstock Rd, Quechee, VT. This event is FREE and open to the public.  Refreshments will be provided.  Donations greatly appreciated. Brain Buzz: Locally sourced science and scientists.   Come share in the discussion and learn about the exciting research that Upper Valley residents are involved with here and around the world.   Brain Buzz is presented in partnership by Dartmouth School of Graduate Studies, Upper Valley Food Coop and Vermont Institute of Natural Science.  
Cost: free
Contact: 802) 359-5000 x245, info@vinsweb.org, http://www.vinsweb.org/index.php/visit/activities-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2017/01/25/15145/35/Y2Q5NTc1ZTI2YTNjMWI1MzEwYWQyYTUwMWVmNmIzMDI=/brain-buzz
See all the colorful details on dailyUV.com

Hello Horizons Observatory Supporters,
Please be aware that the Horizons Observatory will be open to the public this Sunday night (November 13th) to view the Super Moon (weather permitting).  The observatory will open from 5:30pm-7:00pm for moon gazing with the observatory's 14' Celestron telescope as-well-as binocular viewing.  Dress warmly.  Please do not bring flashlights since this will reduce our ability to view the sky.  We're looking forward to seeing you and your friends on what promises to be a beautiful autumn night beneath a rare Super Moon!

​Hello Horizons Observatory Supporters,
Please be aware that the Horizons Observatory WILL be open to the public to view tonight's Super Blood Moon Eclipse.  The dome will open from 9:30pm-11:20pm for moon gazing with the observatory's 14' Celestron telescope as-well-as binocular viewing.  Dress warmly.  Please do not bring flashlights since this will reduce our ability to view the sky.  We're looking forward to seeing you and your friends on what promises to be a beautiful autumn night beneath a rare Super Moon Eclipse!
Total eclipse begins: 10:11pm
Greatest eclipse: 10:47pm
​Total eclipse ends: 11:23pm

As a culmination of our Cosmic Scales week at the National Park, the Horizons Observatory is hosting a stargazing event for Friday, September 26th from 7:30pm – 9:00pm.   The entire public - is welcome.  Visitors will have the opportunity to view stars, star clusters, and nebulae through the observatory’s 14” telescope - and to enjoy a night sky tour lead by a Horizons docent.  Please keep flashlights at home in that the observing sight needs to remain as dark as possible.

The observatory is located at The Pomfret School.  If the forecast holds and it is clear, it will also be quite cool so dress warmly!  We look forward to spending a wonderful evening under the stars with you.  The event will be canceled in the case of cloudy skies.

Sincerely,

Rob Hanson, Bill Heston, Scott Holson, Paul Otavsky

Horizons Observatory Docents