Lmst

As we pack up for beautiful nights at the Connecticut Star Party #CSP35 this weekend, we heard we lost a long Connecticut friend from #Stellafane. Dennis Cassia, the cigar chewing smiling bald guy that met everyone at the gates passed this morning. Love to Kim and his family at this difficult time from all of us at WAS.

TONIGHT at 8PM!
Join us in the Westport Observatory Classroom for:
🌟 Tales from the Pink Clubhouse: Bob Meadows’ 2025 Stellafane Report! 🌟

No clouds, no scopes—just great stories from the ultimate telescope maker’s convention! https://was-ct.org/events/the-bob-meadows-annual-stellafane-report-2025/

#WestportObservatory #Stellafane #AstronomyTalk #StarPartyIndoors

Group of people gathered outdoors near observatory dome and a pink club house at Stellafane.

🚨 August 19th at 8:00 PM! 🚨
Join us LIVE in the classroom (or online via YouTube & Zoom) for: Tales from the Pink Clubhouse: Bob Meadows’ 2025 Stellafane Report!

Hear firsthand stories, highlights, and surprises from the ultimate telescope maker’s convention!

📍 Westport Observatory Classroom
📺 Streaming live on YouTube and a Webinar on Zoom
🔗 https://was-ct.org/events/bob_meadows_2025/

#WestportObservatory #Stellafane #AmateurAstronomy #StarParty

Learn about "#Astronomy without Light" from the official recording of my keynote at the 2025 #Stellafane Convention!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wBdbYmXwjFs&si=GurgypOvkU7s8i2a

#physics #astrophysics #neutrinos #cosmicrays #darkmatter

Some scenes from Breezy Hill at the #Stellafane Convention regarding the use of the beautiful Porter Observatory for solar observing in the daytime. Our sun is the first star in our lives, and being able to see the features of its outer surface (photosphere) is critical to understanding other stars in the universe.

Breezy Hill with the Porter Observatory in the foreground and the pink Stellafane clubhouse in the background at the top of the hill.

The Porter Observatory with the mirror in position and the sun overhead.

The focusing mirror sits in place at the end of a long boom arm and concentrates the sun’s rays into the main observatory to form an image.

A view of the sun through a solar telescope. Sunspots are visible, each as large as or larger than the Earth.

I had a TRANSFORMATIVE time at the #Stellafane Convention these past few days. I am back in #Sudbury now but my heart remains with the passionate community of telescope makers and astronomers I met and learned from.

I was honoured to share @snolabscience.bsky.social in keynote lectures at both the Hartness House Workshop and the Convention. Last night’s lecture in the outdoor amphitheatre realized a long-standing dream of mine and inspired my talk. Thank you, #Stellafane!

Shout out to @WestportObservatory at #Stellafane: I am having a wonderful time learning about the Westport Astronomical Society and the observing facilities they manage and support. So happy to be able to connect with all of you IRL instead of just on the #fediverse!

This answer is for Alan. After my keynote talk at the Hartness House Workshop last night, he approached me with a really interesting question. What is the total mass of the neutrinos emitted by a core-collapse supernova (CCSN)?

This is a great question and a chance to do some estimating as well as to exercise some physics. First, let’s assume we just want to add up the mass of […]

https://steve.cooleysekula.net/blog/2025/07/25/stellafane-questions-what-is-the-mass-of-all-neutrinos-from-a-core-collapse-supernova/

We had a chance to tour the Hartness House museum during lunch yesterday. It’s housed in the tunnels under the mansion/inn, built by Hartness (former governor of VT and a talented engineer and astronomer). The tunnels were home to a workshop and guest entertaining facilities, including a speakeasy. They led to Hartness’s own telescope, allowing comfortable access in the winter or any other season. They even exit to the edge of the grounds on the hill side.

#Stellafane

Tunnels below the house lead to private rooms for Hartness’s work.

Astronomy equipment in a subterranean museum

Hartness’s custom designed and built telescope

The tunnels exit on the back side of the property, below ground level.

I was very honoured to deliver the keynote talk at the HHW last night. The questions afterward were incredible, and @jodi and I were humbled when a young member of the audience asked us to sign his copy of our dark matter textbook that he brought with him to the talk.

We went out after the workshop to enjoy clear skies on Breezy Hill, site of the convention. We marveled at the stars, the Milky Way, and satellite pollution in low Earth orbit.

#Stellafane

It has been an incredible time so far with the community of telescope makers at this year’s Stellafane Convention, and the convention is just starting today!

Yesterday was the Hartness House Workshop, a chance to engage with many people about their passion for astronomy and to learn from experts in literature and astronomy, professional astronomy, and other fields about issues local and global to astronomy.

#Stellafane

👋 from #Stellafane

Photo of a he pink clubhouse on right and Porter turret on the left

I am very excited to be participating in the annual #Stellafane Convention in Springfield, VT. We arrived at the Hartness House last night, site of the Thursday Hartness House Workshop. I will deliver a lecture on doing supernova science in underground labs, followed by the convention keynote talk on Saturday night on "Astronomy without Light".

https://stellafane.org/convention/2025/index.html

What an incredible setting to learn and share about #telescope building and #astronomy!

#Stellafane2025

Amateur Telescope Making Main Page

https://stellafane.org/tm/atm/

#HackerNews #AmateurTelescopeMaking #TelescopeDIY #Astronomy #Enthusiasts #Stargazing #Stellafane

Did you miss Westport Observatory Director Bob Meadows' talk on the 88th Stellafane convention, live in the WAS Classroom? Watch it here on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/Dv_WmlYr10c

#Stellafane #SpringfieldVT #WestportAstronomicalSociety #WestportObservatory #Telescopes #Astronomy

TONIGHT! The Bob Meadows Stellafane Report! LIVE IN THE WAS CLASSROOM - August 20th, 8:00 pm - https://mailchi.mp/was-ct/bob_meadows_2024-tonight

Come and support LIVE TALKS in the WAS Classroom again!

#BOBMEADOWS #Stellafane #Lecture #WestportObservatory #WestportAstronomicalSociety #WestportCT

The Bob Meadows Stellafane Report! LIVE IN THE WAS CLASSROOM - August 20th, 8:00 pm

Come in person and support live talks at the observatory again!

https://mailchi.mp/was-ct/bob_meadows_2024

#BOBMEADOWS #Stellafane #Lecture #WestportObservatory #WestportAstronomicalSociety #WestportCT

The WAS Away Team is packing up for the 88th Stellafane Convention in Springfield VT next weekend! We hope to see you there - you can find us on the main field with our 25" Obsession. We'll reserve your own personal photons!

https://stellafane.org/convention/2024/index.html

#Stellafane #WestportAstronomicalSociety #WASAwayTeam #SpringfieldVT #StarParty

Some additional creations displayed by Amateur #Telescope Makers (ATMs) at #Stellafane this year. #astronomy 🔭

The view of telescope makers displaying their creativity. At 3 dozen telescope displays and onlookers to match. This photo shows the Breezy Hill and Porter Turret Telescope at Stellafane, VT.

A refurbished classic telescope made of brass and other metals - likely pressed aluminum.

An intricate classical 8" Dobsonian Telescope. The optical tube is painted gray along with a detailed swivel base.

A classical 8" Dobsonian Telescope painted black on a well constructed and crafted wooden base.

An excellent tradition of the #Stellafane Amateur #Telescope Makers Convention is to hold competitions where entries are judged for creativity, optical and mechanical quality in telescope making. The competition is held at the club's Pink Clubhouse on Breezy Hill. #astronomy 🔭

#Stellafane

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