Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Mar 8, 2024 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Cost:

$5 Suggested Donation Per Person

Welcome to the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center's 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 unexpectedly promising. We can expect clear sky conditions early in the evening with increasing clouds during the second half of our event. This is a similar forecast to what we had last Friday, where clouds moved in much earlier than expected. Though nearly all forecasting sources are calling for clear sky conditions until 8:00 pm, with most until 10:00 pm. Considering that the 1% waning crescent Moon will not rise until 5:03 am tomorrow morning, we will have a fabulous night of viewing until clouds move in.

We will open the Observatory, Science Center, and Sky Theatre at 7:00 pm tonight. In the Observatory, the large 24 inch telescope will start off with views of Jupiter and its four Galilean Moons. Once Jupiter drops too low for the dome shutter, we will check out the Orion Nebula, the Messier 46 open star cluster, the NGC 2392 white dwarf, the Cigar Galaxy, and more. We also plan to have a telescope set up to catch images of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which we will show on screen. In the Sky Theatre we will show our regular feature of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory. We’ll stay open until 10:00 pm.

Overall, tonight looks pretty good to start, but clouds will likely move in at some point in the night. We aren’t expecting heavy cloud cover until after we close, and we could get away with clear sky conditions for a large part of our event. If making the long drive, it is risky, but may be worth it if the sky stays clear. So take a chance and head out to Frosty Drew tonight, and become acquainted with the cosmos.

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.

Take a moment to catch up on some weekly astronomy happenings in:
A Celebration of Space - March 8, 2024

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.

How to Dress for Winter Conditions: The Frosty Drew Observatory is not climate controlled, and the temperature inside the dome need to match the outside air temperature for a stable telescopic view. Frosty Drew Astronomy Team members dress in layers during the winter and for a very good reason. You should consider doing the same. Please read Dressing for All-Night Winter Stargazing to familiarize yourself with adequate dressing measures.

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 beam 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.