Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Fri, Sep 4, 2020 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Cost:

This event has SOLD OUT

IMPORTANT NOTE: ======
If a ticket acquisition link is not posted to this page, then we have not opened ticket sales yet. All the information you require is listed on this page. PLEASE READ THE PAGE! We will not respond to voicemails or emails about how to acquire tickets. Thank you for your understanding.
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Welcome to the Frosty Drew Observatory Summer Stargazing Nights! Every Friday night (weather permitting) we open our Observatory, Sky Theatre, and telescopes to the skies and offer free stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with us.

Tonight’s event will start at 8:00 pm. Observatory telescopes will showcase Jupiter with all four Galilean Moons in view. Saturn will be the rock star planet of the night, showing stunning views of the rings and several moons. Mars will rise just after 9:00 pm tonight and will become accessible to our courtyard telescopes around 10:00 pm., when we will attempt an early season view of Mars. Now that we are in September, we are closing in on Mars’ viewing season for 2020. Once the Moon rises, we will rock views of the 93% waning gibbous. Binary stars, and perhaps a quick bout of nebulae and star cluster viewing will happen before the Moon rises. We will close up at 10:00 pm, but will not chase out anybody that is there with us, and we may stick around for a bit to catch views of Mars.

Due to restrictions on the number of people that can be in groups, we have integrated a temporary ticketing system. Tickets can be acquired online only! A link to acquire tickets will be posted on this event page no earlier than the day before the event, if weather is acceptable for viewing. We frequently post links on the day of the event so we have the most accurate forecast. Please DO NOT attempt to circumvent the ticketing process by using the standard donation form on our website. THAT WILL NOT GET YOU A TICKET OR ACCESS TO THIS EVENT! A ticket is required for admission at tonight’s event!

Important information about tickets:

- A maximum of 140 tickets will be available for each night depending on telescope availability.
- A ticket is required for each person in your party / group that is over 4 years of age.
- Tickets will not be available on site. This means you need to arrive with your ticket.
- Tickets will be checked at the Observatory main gate, either electronically or physically.
- The name on the ticket must match the name of the ticket holder.
- If you do not have a ticket, you will not be granted admission. Don't just show up!
- Tickets are non-refundable.
- This event is weather dependent and cancellations will be posted on the day of the event.
- Though tickets have different times listed, all ticket holders can stay on the campus for the entire duration of the event. The times are to mitigate the formation of a long admission line.
- We cannot guarantee the weather, nor can we guarantee that you will see what you may expect.

Tickets to this event have SOLD OUT.

We ask for a donation of $5 per person over the age of 5 years. The ticket acquisition process will accept any donation amount that you are willing to give, and we thank you for doing so!

When visiting, please be aware of signage and social distancing markers as well as flow indicators. If you are experiencing any symptoms of any contagion, stay home and postpone your visit, even if that means forfeiture of your ticket. Visitors who are visibly displaying symptoms of a contagion will not be granted admission. This is just how it is for now, so take your allergy pill before departing for Frosty Drew Observatory!

Before visiting we always recommend reading our page on Visiting Frosty Drew Observatory to learn more about what to expect at the Observatory and better help you prepare for your visit. Though in particular you should read our Equipment Usage TOS because this will be in full force and inability to follow will result in the visitor or party being required to leave. Please familiarize yourself with our visiting info. I could prevent a potentially embarrassing moment.

Be sure to subscribe to the Frosty Drew Observatory mailing list, follow us on Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or on Facebook to receive status updates about our Summer Stargazing Nights program and more.

If this event is cancelled due to inclement weather or other reasons, we will host a live streamed event showcasing images of the cosmos that our astronomers have captured earlier in the week. A link to the live broadcast will be added to this page on the day of the event. Regardless, you can catch up on our live streams, science and astronomy videos, and more on the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center YouTube

If you are looking for that awesome astronomy thing to do or just want a night out to experience the cosmos under the darkest skies in Rhode Island, then this is your chance.

Take a moment to catch up on all the amazing things happening in space this week in: A Celebration of Space - September 4, 2020

Please note that we do not allow any white lights on our campus from dusk - dawn. This is to ensure an equally awesome view of the night sky for all as well as to allow for the use of light sensitive astronomical equipment. Learn more about why we have this requirement in The Red Light District

We will update this event with our weekly announcement on the day of the event. The announcement will describe our plans for the night and what to expect regarding weather and astronomical sights.