Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center: Scott MacNeill's Columns

Celebration of Space - August 14, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:34:13 EDT

On Saturday and Sunday evening, August 15-16, 2026, Venus and the thin crescent Moon will be putting on a show for sky watchers as they enter conjunction over the eastern horizon just after sunset. Conjunctions occur when two objects of different dista

How to View Solar Eclipses without Eclipse Glasses

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 12:20:49 EDT

Before most notable solar events, a last minute cram to gear up for the event usually happens as the media starts to hype up the last few days before the event.

Solar eclipses can bring partial eclipse or total eclipse views to specific location

Celebration of Space - August 7, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 7 Aug 2026 15:14:44 EDT

This coming Wednesday, August 12, 2026, a fabulous partial solar eclipse will occur over the Northeast US. Over Frosty Drew, the eclipse will max out at 13.48% of the Sun eclipsed by the Moon. Though not as spectacular as the solar eclipse in 2024, 202

Celebration of Space - July 31, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:35:13 EDT

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026 a total solar eclipse will occur over parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. In Southern New England we will experience a partial solar eclipse. This is a fantastic opportunity to witness a stunning natural event that occ

Safely Observe The Solar Eclipse

Scott MacNeill — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:21:48 EDT

In the United States, solar eclipses do not happen as frequently as they do around the world, and Americans get super hyped about the prospect of viewing the Moon pass in front of the Sun. Though viewing a solar eclipse will be quite memorable, safety

Celebration of Space - July 10, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:17:24 EDT

This coming Saturday, July 11, 2026, starting at 9:00 pm, the Frosty Drew Observatory will host our Celebrate the Milky Way special event. These are the nights that we think the Milky Way will be in best viewing during the summer viewing season. Frosty

Celebration of Space - June 26, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:48:49 EDT

This coming Monday, June 29, 2026 at 7:58 pm ET, the Moon will once again orbit into a position of alignment with the Earth and the Sun when it arrives on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun. This is the full lunar phase, which places the side of t

Celebration of Space - June 19, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:30:27 EDT

On Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 4:25 am ET, Earth will arrive at the point in its orbit where the Northern Hemisphere is at maximum tilt (23.4°) towards the Sun. This is the Summer Solstice and marks the first day of the summer season in the Northern Hemi

Celebration of Space - June 12, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:44:45 EDT

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 13, 2026 we will host our first Celebrate the Milky Way event of the year. These are the nights that we think the best views of the Milky Way will be available on a Saturday night. We will open the Observatory and Science Cente

Celebration of Space - May 29, 2026

Scott MacNeill — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:30:34 EDT

This coming Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 4:47 am ET, the Moon will once again arrive on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun. This is the full Moon. On this date the Moon will rise with the setting Sun and set with the rising Sun, keeping the Moon above