Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Sep 6, 2024 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Cost:

This Event has SOLD OUT!.

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 look rather promising. After a stunning week of amazing weather, clouds have moved into the region this morning. Though we expect the clouds to clear out later this afternoon, just in time for our stargazing geek out. As for the sky, the super thin 15% waxing crescent will sit over the WSW horizon for about 15 minutes after we open. Being that the Moon will set during twilight, we are in for a night of super dark sky condition with the Milky Way becoming very visible after 9:00 pm.

We will open the Observatory, Sky Theatre, and Science Center at 8:00 pm tonight. In the Observatory the 24 inch telescope will start with binary stars Albireo, Ras Algethi, and perhaps a quick view of T Corona Borealis. Once twilight wanes we will hunt down star clusters and nebulae along the Milky Way galactic plane. On our list are the Ring Nebula, the Messier 27 white dwarf, the Swan Nebula, Messier 71 globular star cluster, Messier 15 globular star cluster, and later in the night – Saturn. In the Sky Theatre we will show our feature of celestial objects captured at Frosty Drew Observatory. We will close up at 10:30 pm.

Overall, tonight has the makings for an amazing night! We’ll catch a quick glimpse of the crescent Moon, followed by super dark sky conditions. We do have a small threat of fog, which could break the night if it comes in early and heavy, but we are keeping our fingers crossed. The majority of the Frosty Drew Astronomy Team are at Cherry Springs State Park in PA for their annual star party, resulting in a very limited team tonight. To compensate, we are limiting our capacity to 50 visitors for the night. This will allow for visitors to have adequate access to the primary 24 inch telescope, which will be the only telescope we will have available tonight. We’ll see you soon under thousands of stars!

Tickets are required for visitors to attend this event. 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!

We will update this event listing on the day of the event before 3:00 pm. The update will describe our plans for the night and what to expect regarding weather and astronomical sights.

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 astro events this week in:
A Celebration of Space - September 6, 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 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.

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.