Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center

When:

Fri, Oct 9, 2026 7:30 pm - 9:30 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 stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with us.

Tonight's forecasts are calling for anything from overcast to clear sky conditions, with the most likely scenario starting as clear and becoming partly cloudy during our event. The New Moon will occur tomorrow, keeping the sky free of the Moon for the entire nighttime period tonight. Without the Moon, the sky will be super dark, offering views of very faint objects and thousands of stars overhead, before clouds start to move in, making tonight a potentially fantastic night to be out under the night sky.

We will open the Observatory, Sky Theatre, and Science Center at 7:30 pm tonight. In the Observatory we will direct the large 24 inch telescope towards anything the sky has to offer. Our list includes the Ring Nebula, Messier 27 white dwarf, Omicron Cygni, the Pegasus Cluster, and more. Later in the night we will direct the telescope towards Saturn. In the Sky Theatre we will show our regular feature of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory. The Science Center will have exhibits on display. We will close up at 9:30 pm.

Overall, tonight has the makings of a fabulous night of astronomy. The sky will be super dark, and clouds should stay out until after 9:00 pm, and will likely be thin enough for excellent views of Saturn. If making the long drive, tonight is a night to consider, though keep in mind that clouds could be worse than expected. Additionally, the first of the two Taurid meteor showers has started. The Taurid showers are known to bring a significant increase in fireball meteors to the sky, and tonight will be a good night to possibly catch a view of one. So swing by Frosty Drew tonight and take a moment to set your inner geek free.

Tickets are required for visitors to attend this event. Inline with our mission to keep costs as low as possible, tickets are $5 per person ages 5 and older. Tickets can be purchased online or at the event until the event sells 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 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.

How to Prepare for Autumn 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.