Celebration of Space - July 31, 2026
The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2023, captured outside St. Albans, Vermont by Brown University's Bob Horton.
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 occurs when the new Moon visibly passes in between Earth and the Sun. At Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center we will have our solar telescopes, solar projectors, and live stream cameras running. Starting at 11:00 am we will offer views of the Sun alongside presentations from select speakers, and more. The eclipse will start at 1:04 pm over our location and will continue until 2:45 pm. Maximum eclipse will occur at 1:55 pm when 13.48% of the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon. Tickets will go on sale up-to one (1) week before the event, will cost $5, and come with a set of eclipse glasses. Check out our event page for more information about the event, and plan to have a fabulous day under the Sun at Frosty Drew.
If eclipses aren’t enough astro geek out for you, then that same night, August 12, 2026, will bring the annual Perseid Meteor Shower peak to the sky, producing an increase in regular meteor activity by about 100 meteors per hour. For a meteor shower to really rock you need clear sky conditions without the Moon present. In 2026, the Perseid peak is happening on the day of the new Moon, which is best case scenario. All we need now is for the sky to stay clear. Frosty Drew will open, again, after the eclipse at 8:30 pm, and stay onsite well into the morning hours. Like the eclipse event, tickets will become available within one (1) week before the event. Check out our event page for more information, and make August 12th a Wednesday of summer astronomy!
Thursday, August 27, 2026, will bring an almost-total lunar eclipse to the sky over New England and much of the United States. Technically, this eclipse is a partial lunar eclipse as the Moon will only drop 93.5% into Earth’s umbra (shadow). Though at that rate, the Moon will take on the same crimson hue that we often see during total lunar eclipses. Additionally, with all the wildfires occurring in the US and Canada this summer, we could see a significant increase in the depth of the red tones cast onto the Moon. Check out our event page for additional information about the event. We will send out additional information as this event approaches, including a prediction of when tickets will become available.
Now that the dog days of summer are nearly over (ending on August 11th) we may see a nice break in temperatures. Even though the dog days are associated with the hottest stretch of temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere summer; dogs, and stars (aside from the Sun) really have nothing to do with it.
The dog days get their name from the bright star, Sirius, which is the brightest star in Earth’s nighttime sky. Sirius is also known as the dog star because it resides in the constellation Canis Major – Orion’s large hunting dog. During the dog days, Sirius is at conjunction with the Earth, meaning it is on the opposite side of the Sun in alignment with Earth. Of course this isn’t why it is so hot during the dog days! The high temps are a product of Earth’s 23.4º axial tilt, and the Northern Hemisphere being tilted at nearly that angle towards the Sun. So celebrate the end of the dog days of summer with a visit to Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center for the solar eclipse and Perseid peak on August 12th.
