Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Aug 30, 2024 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm

Cost:

Tickets are required for visitors not attending the music festival. This event has SOLD OUT!

Welcome to the Frosty Drew Summer 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 is the annual Rhythm and Roots music festival in Ninigret Park, which brings fantastic tunes, and a lot of bustle to the park. This event is the big send off of the summer season at Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center, and after tonight, we switch back to our regular Stargazing Nights events. Tonight’s forecast appears to be quite variable, with some sources calling for clear sky conditions until well after midnight, and other sources calling for mostly cloudy conditions with fog. This is somewhat upsetting because variability usually favors us with cloud cover, but not fog. We always get fog inundation hours before the forecast times. If the clouds and fog can stay out, it should be a fabulous night as the 5% waning crescent Moon does not rise until 3:24 am, offering up dark sky viewing.

We will open the Observatory and Observatory Courtyard at 6:30 pm this afternoon. In the Courtyard, our telescopes will showcase the Sun for the last time this summer. Once the Sun sets we will begin our switch to twilight stargazing, which will allow for views of brighter binary stars like Albireo, Ras Algethi, Delta Cepheus, Mizar, and more. Once darkness starts to set in we will shift our views towards the galactic plane. On our list are the Ring Nebula, the Messier 27 white dwarf, the Messier 22 globular star cluster, the Messier 11 open star cluster, the Messier 15 globular cluster, and anything else we can dig out of the sky. The Sky Theatre and Science Center will remain closed tonight for the music festival. We’ll close up at 11:00 pm.

Note that the Rhythm and Roots festival, though fun and lively, will bring light pollution, traffic, loud music, and a rowdier than usual crowd to the park. This will certainly add confusion to navigating Park Lane, will significantly reduce our view of the sky, and will also restrict parking availability. When driving along Park Lane, you will be stopped by music festival parking staff. Kindly inform them that you are visiting Frosty Drew Observatory, and they will let you pass. You do not have to pay to park if visiting Frosty Drew Observatory! Additionally, music festival staff are unaware of our schedule, so do not let them turn you away.

Overall, tonight has the prospects of a great night. We could have a clear sky and the music festival will add a unique ambiance to the park environment. There is a threat of fog tonight, which could move in early and obscure our view of the sky, and there is variability in the forecast, which could result in overcast conditions. But we will give it our best go. We’ll see you soon!

Tickets are required for visitors to attend this event. Rhythm and Roots festival ticket holders can attend this event with their Rhythm and Roots ticket. Tickets are free, though a suggested donation of $5 per person, either online or at the event, is very appreciated.

This event has SOLD OUT!

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.

Be sure to subscribe to the Frost Drew Observatory mailing list and follow us on Instagram 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.

Read about our Observatory Dome Access Passes, which are available on a first come first serve basis.

How to Prepare for Summertime Conditions: The Frosty Drew Observatory is located inside Ninigret Park and borders the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. Insects and arachnids are a concern when visiting the Frosty Drew campus. We have observed mosquitoes, green head flies, deer flies, ticks, biting ants, and more. Please read the Mosquitoes and Insects section on our Visiting the Observatory page to familiarize yourself with adequate preparation measures.