Stargazing Nights

Stargazing Nights

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center
When:
Fri, Oct 14, 2022 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Cost:
Ticket Sales Have Ended

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 skies and offer free stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with us.

Tonight's forecasts are calling for partly cloudy conditions. The heavy rain and clouds will clear out this morning, though a quick bout of clouds will move back into our region just in time to cloud up our event. We are unsure how heavy cloud cover will be and it may be a bit patchy. We are hopeful that the clouds will not affect views of the planets too much. Considering we have the 77% waning gibbous Moon rising at 7:00 pm, the sky will be dark at first, but eventually overtaken with Moon light.

We will open the Observatory, Courtyard, and Science Center at 7:00 pm tonight. In the Observatory and Courtyard, our telescopes will showcase Saturn’s ring and moons, Jupiter and its four Galilean Moons, and a handful of nebulae and star clusters that may be visible if clouds are not heavy enough. We will also have a wide field telescope set up offering views of the Andromeda Galaxy, if the weather cooperates. In the Science Center we’ll have exhibits on display alongside astronomical images captured by the Frosty Drew Astronomy Team. We’ll close up at 10:00 pm.

Overall, tonight had a promising forecast, which has degraded over the past few hours. We are unsure how cloudy it will be during our night, but there will be some level of cloud issues. If making the long drive, you may want to sit this one out as the sky could end up overcast, though we are not expecting cloud cover to be that bad. If you are in the general area, or are feeling like taking a chance, then swing by the observatory and catch a view of the planets, and possibly much more.

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 no longer available for this event.

Take a moment to catch up on some amazing things happening in the sky this weekend and coming week in:
A Celebration of Space - October 14, 2022

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.

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 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.