Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Jan 17, 2025 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.

After a fabulous week in astronomy, clear sky conditions will make for a fantastic night out. We can expect mostly clear conditions with temps a bit warmer than they have been all week. The 86% waning gibbous Moon will rise at 8:48 pm, offering us super dark sky conditions until the Moon rises, allowing for stunning views of the amazing Orion Nebula. Even though there is a small threat of passing clouds, it looks to be a spectacular night.

We will open the Observatory, Science Center, and Sky Theatre at 7:00 pm tonight. In the Observatory we will direct the large 24 inch telescope towards the Orion Nebula, the Messier 37 open star cluster, the Messier 76 white dwarf, and more. Once the Moon starts to sneak in we will switch to Jupiter and Mars. Mars is two days past opposition, which puts us into the best time in a two year period to view Mars. The Science Center and Sky Theatre will be warm and showing on screen features of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory and exhibits. We will close up at 10:00 pm.

Overall, tonight looks to be an excellent night to be out. Clouds will be moving through our region, but we should stay in between large groupings of cloud cover. There is always a chance we could end up clouded out when there are clouds in the region, but we remain hopeful for a good night. If making the long drive, keep in mind that you may be presented with a cloudy view of the sky. In any case, we think it is worth a try. So bundle up and head out Frosty Drew for a night with the winter starscape.

Tickets are not required to attend this event.

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 space happenings (and not happenings) in this week's:
A Celebration of Space - January 17, 2025

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.