Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Jun 24, 2022 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm

Cost:

Get tickets here. Please read below.

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 forecasts are looking rather good, again! We can expect mostly clear sky conditions this evening with a light wind. We do have a threat of fog, which could move in towards the end of our session, though forecasts are calling for fog later in the morning hours. Considering that the 10% waning crescent Moon does not rise until 2:43 am, we will have super dark sky conditions to celebrate, even if true darkness doesn’t happen until after 10:30 pm due to the super late sunsets of June.

We will open the Observatory, Courtyard, Science Center, and Sky Theatre at 6:30 pm. In the Observatory Courtyard, we will have our solar telescopes set up offering views of the solar chromosphere and photosphere. The Sun currently has several sunspots visible along the photosphere and the chromosphere is very active with prominence, filaments, and more. Once the Sun sets, we will switch over to stargazing mode. Being that we do not have any evening planets or the Moon, there will be a bit of a lull in between, during which a visit to the Sky Theatre, Science Center, or Under the Willow will make for a moment with some fantastic exhibits, on-screen features of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory, and perhaps a story Under the Willow. Once the sky gets dark enough, the 24 inch PlaneWave telescope, alongside telescopes in the Courtyard will rock the night sky chasing down binary stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. On our list are the Hercules Cluster, the Ring Nebula, Albireo, Messier 27 white dwarf, the Whirlpool Galaxy, and more. We will also have our live stack telescope set up in the Lunar Lounge offering a live stacked view of a galaxy projected onto the wall. We will stay open until 11:00 pm.

Overall, tonight looks like a great night to be out. There will likely be some fog towards the end of our session, but we may score with the fog holding off until the morning hours. Fog is quite prominent at our location, and it does usually move in faster than forecast. If making the long drive, that is a risk you are taking. Otherwise, everything is lining up for a great night. So give it a try and head over to the darkest spot in Rhode Island and celebrate the cosmos with us.

Tickets are required for visitors to attend this event. Tickets are free, though a suggested donation of $5 per person, at the event, is very appreciated. Tickets are available here

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 some awesome celestial happenings in:
A Celebration of Space - June 24, 2022

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

Preparing for Your Visit:

Check out 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.

Please note that we do not allow any white lights on our campus or in Ninigret Park from dusk - dawn, with the exception of low bean headlights while in motion. 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.