Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Jan 14, 2022 - CLOSED

Cost:

$5 Suggested Donation per person 5 years and older

Welcome to the Frosty Drew Observatory Stargazing Nights! Every Friday night (weather permitting) we open our Observatory, Science Center, Sky Theatre, and telescopes to the sky and offer free stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with us.

Tonight's forecasts are looking acceptable as far as sky conditions go. We can expect the rain and clouds to clear out around 7:00 pm. Unfortunately, the temps will drop very quickly into the teens, and the fast drop in temperatures will bring excessive winds to our region, with gusts expected to reach into the 45 mph range. Which is well over our tolerances for opening the Observatory dome. Additionally, the significant drop in temperatures will likely bring a flash freeze situation, which will make the campus and roadways inside Ninigret Park quite icy and unsafe for travel / walking. Not to mention, negative degree windchill.

After considering all of these variables we have decided to keep the Observatory and Science Center closed tonight. Additionally, even if we did open, the rapid temperature drop would make viewing through our telescope nearly impossible. This is because convective currents from the warmer landscape and buildings will rapidly change the refractive index of the atmosphere, making it impossible to keep the telescope focused. We call this measurement “seeing”, and represents the ability to observe through the local atmosphere at higher magnification.

We will open next on Friday, January 21, 2022. We’ll see you then.

In the meantime, catch up on some awesome space happenings in:
A Celebration of Space - January 14, 2022

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 Stargazing Nights program and more.

Check out our page on Visiting Frosty Drew Observatory to learn more about what to expect at the Observatory and to better help you prepare for your visit.

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 and to allow for the use of light sensitive astronomical equipment. Learn more about why we have this requirement in The Red Light District.

It is cold at Frosty Drew Observatory during the winter and early spring. Visitors will be completely exposed to the harsh winter environment while standing on frozen ground. Dressing properly is REQUIRED to attend! Lean how the Frosty Drew Astronomers dress for working overnight on the Frosty Drew campus during the winter. Read it! Follow it!

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

Please note that due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the detail of this event may change. Please check in regularly, both here and on our SARS-CoV-2 page, to stay up to date.