Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Aug 14, 2026 - CLOSED

Cost:

$5 per person over four years of age

Get Tickets

UPDATE: 2026.08.14 6:35 pm ================
Due to a complete change in the forecast data for tonight, we have decided to cancel tonight's event. Thunderstorms will be moving through the region well into the night and could last until after 10:00 pm. Thunderstorms present a hazard to visitors on site as well as Frosty Drew Astronomy Team members. We'll see you tomorrow night for our Celebrate the Milky Way event.
===============================

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 stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with us.

Tonight's forecasts are calling for partly cloudy sky conditions becoming clear overnight. We also have a chance of passing thunder showers between 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The 5% waxing crescent Moon will set at 8:44 pm, offering up stunning views of the super thin crescent in twilight. Even with a chance of showers earlier and clouds, we should see clearings after 9:00 pm. So we will forego our solar viewing program this afternoon, and give it a go a little later and see how the night plays out.

We will open the Observatory, Courtyard, Sky Theatre, and Science Center at 8:00 pm. We will direct our telescopes towards the night sky with Venus first up, which is currently sporting a 49% waning crescent phase. In the Observatory, the large 24 inch telescope will showcase multiple star systems until twilight wanes, after which our list goes into dark sky mode with the Ring Nebula, Messier 27 white dwarf, Messier 15 globular star cluster, Messier 13 globular star cluster, and more. Our Courtyard telescopes will also offer our first public showing of Saturn for the 2026 viewing season for the last half hour of the event. In the Sky Theatre we will show our regular feature of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory and the Science Center will have exhibits on display. We will close at 11:00 pm.

Overall, tonight has a couple caveats that will accompany the super dark sky conditions. If making the long drive, make sure you’re prepared for clouds and potentially rain during the event. If we can hear thunder, then we have to close the dome until the storm passes. If we do get rain before sunset, the campus will be quite wet for the event. Keep this in mind when choosing what to wear. On the flip side if clouds can stay out, we could be in for a fantastic night of super dark sky conditions with the Milky Way blazing overhead. We also are two days post-Perseid-peak, which will bring a large increase of Perseid meteors to the sky. Regardless, we will make the best of what we get. So head out to Frosty Drew tonight for a mid-summer night out under thousands of stars.

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-happenings this week in:
A Celebration of Space - August 14, 2026

Be sure to subscribe to the Frosty 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.

Visit our daily ephemerides tool to find out what Solar System objects are visible this week.

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.

Please note that we do not allow any white lights on our campus from dusk - dawn. 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.