2024 Stellafane Convention Schedule

Friday Evening Informal Talks

If you wish to contribute a short talk during this session, please register online. Talks are limited to 10 minutes and 20 slides. The time limit will be strictly enforced! A digital projector will be available for your use - please bring your presentation on a USB stick.

Swap Tables

The Swap Tables (located at the northeast edge of the main camping/parking area) are provided to give amateurs an opportunity to trade, buy or sell their surplus astronomical and telescope related items. The Swap Table area will be open from 7:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

POLICY OF THE SPRINGFIELD TELESCOPE MAKERS REGARDING COMMERCIALISM
AND THE SWAP TABLES AT THE CONVENTION

The Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. has clarified its policy regarding commercialism and Swap Table sales at the Stellafane Convention. For the sake of historical continuity, to preserve the uniqueness of the Stellafane Convention and to encourage Conventioneers to build their own instruments, the Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. does not allow commercial sales, of any kind, at the Stellafane Convention. All swap table sales must comply, in concept, with the above objective but are also specifically subject to the following criteria:

1. Only surplus astronomical, telescope and telescope making related items may be sold.
2. Each person will be allowed 16 square feet of table or ground space.
3. Items which have the appearance of being specifically purchased or manufactured for sale at the Swap Tables may not be sold.
4. All sales must take place within the designated Swap Table area only between 7 a.m. and noon, the Saturday of the Stellafane Convention.

The Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. may choose to grant a limited exception to the above policies to astronomy related organizations for their fundraising. Any request for an exemption must be made, in writing, at least one month prior to the Convention. If granted, the President of the Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. will notify the requesting organization in writing.

Any member of the Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. has the authority to determine whether a party is in compliance with the established regulations. Any person who is found to be in violation of the stated policies will be required to comply. Failing compliance, the offending party will be asked to leave the Convention and may be escorted from the premises by Convention security.

The Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc. encourages those with questions regarding this policy to contact the Club via the Stellafane web page (http://Stellafane.org). During the Convention, any questions regarding this policy, the appropriateness of items being displayed, or any information being disseminated, should be directed to a member of the Springfield Telescope Makers, Inc.

Saturday Evening Program & Keynote Talk

The Saturday evening program will begin at 7:00 pm in the hillside amphitheater. (In case of inclement weather, the program will be held inside the Flanders Pavilion). Mario Motta, of the Springfield Telescope Makers, will be master of ceremonies.

• Greetings, announcements, and Raffle Drawings
• Stellafane Shadowgram by Dr. Kristine Larsen
   Stellafane: The Next Century
• Presentation of Telescope Competition Awards
• Stellafane Keynote by Tony Hull:
   From ATM and Stellafane to Polishing Webb Mirrors

Telescope Competition

Details are on the Telescope Competition Page

Telescope Making Demo

This is a HANDS-ON mirror making demonstration - Gain first-hand experience working on mirrors at every stage of grinding, polishing and testing. Experienced ATMs will help explain each step of the process and answer any questions you may have.

Bring your own mirror for testing between 2:00 and 4:00 PM on Friday - 12½-inch Max Diameter.

Free Time

We have your days and nights pretty heavily scheduled; these hours are kept free for a bit of relaxation or a leisurely lunch or dinner.

A Journey from Grinding Mirrors to Working on Hubble and the Value of Pro-Am Research

When I first heard that you could grind your own telescope mirror by hand, I was in disbelief. Just a few short weeks later I had my very own mirror kit from Newport Glass and began grinding a six-inch mirror while I was in elementary school. I discovered Stellafane during that time and have eagerly looked forward to the annual pilgrimage ever since. I finished my six-inch telescope with the help of my family and friends, and nearly two decades later I finally brought it to Breezy Hill where it tied for first place in the optical competition last year. In this session I’ll share my journey from those first steps in astronomy through my current role as a staff scientist for the Wide Field Camera 3 team on the Hubble Space Telescope. I’ll highlight some of the paths to a career in astronomy, and share the key roles that amateur astronomers play in making discoveries, including examples of how you and your astronomy club can contribute to astronomical research.

Using the new "Small Smart Telescopes" to Generate Science

The new breed of relatively inexpensive smart telescopes are wonderful "first steps" in astronomical imaging, but they provide good capabilities for generating scientifically useful images as well. We will discuss: A) What sorts of science is achievable B) How to best use these telescopes to generate scientifically relevant images and C) How AAVSO supports their use in the study of variable stars and photometry.

Movie: Stellafane Centennial Celebration documentary

High on a hilltop in southern Vermont, backed against a southern shield of tall spruce trees and facing north to Mount Ascutney, is an astronomical observatory. It is the home of the Springfield Telescope Makers. Founded in 1923, this organization is the oldest group of amateurs in the country devoted to building and using astronomical telescopes and other scientific instruments. This group of innovators were instrumental in sparking public interest in astronomy and space exploration, which has lasted for a hundred years, its reaches ranging from Springfield to across the country and even internationally. Stellafane, as the clubhouse is called, is a monument to Vermont inventiveness. It has been the site of the Springfield Telescope Makers's annual Convention since 1926, with the exception of the WWII years and COVID in 2020. The objective of this film is to present an archival documentation of their centennial celebration, synthesizing the past, present, and future of Vermont's illustrious contributions to science and technology. It also aims to encourage our local community to participate in more of Stellafane and the Springfield Telescope Maker's offerings, such as field trips, Convention, and telescope making workshops. Duration: 56:45

Pages from the Past: Collecting Vintage Astronomy Books

Richard Sanderson was introduced to the world of antiquarian astronomy book collecting during a Stellafane Twilight Talks presentation back in 1975. His fascination with this arcane hobby quickly grew into a rewarding, lifelong passion. Rich will explain how to acquire and protect old books and astro-memorabilia and discuss the factors that make certain books valuable. His presentation will be illustrated by captivating examples from his collection, with an emphasis on old volumes about telescopes and telescope making.

Two Eyes are Better than One

Binoculars are NOT just for beginners, as this talk will stress. After various binocular-related terms are defined, Phil will help audience members check their binoculars to make sure they are working correctly, as well as offer consumer tips to help find astronomically worthy binoculars.

Convention Cleanup

Please clean up around your campsite and parking area. All trash should be deposited in the large dumpster by the Cook Shack. Please make sure there are no obstacles to grass mowing in the fields - any rocks, stakes, or other hazards should be returned to the woods or taken to the dumpster. If you would like to take down rebar and string, we would appreciate that. Pile rebar and string on the side of the road, where it will be easy for us to find and pick up. Thank you very much for making Convention cleanup easier on all of us.

Introduction to Stellafane

Are you familiar with these terms: “The Pink”, “Tent Talks” or “The Turret”? If not, if this is your first time attending the Stellafane Convention, or if you are returning and want to learn more about who the Springfield Telescope Makers are, as well as what is going on during the Convention, then this presentation is for you. Topics include, but are not limited to: A short history of Stellafane, a description of our site, including the buildings and landmarks, descriptions of the scheduled talks and activities, services available at Stellafane, local services off site, etc., in addition to answering any questions you may have about the Convention.

Solar System Walk

To illustrate the vast size of outer space, the Springfield Telescope Makers have constructed a scale model of the solar system, based on the Sun being 12 inches in diameter. At that scale, the Earth would be approximately 1/10 of an inch in diameter and 107 feet from the Sun. Jupiter would be 1.2 inches in diameter and approximately 560 feet from the Sun.

The “Solar System Walk” begins behind the Pink Clubhouse and proceeds down the road going towards the Stellafane camping area. At the appropriate distance from the scale model of the Sun, there are stations with the appropriate planet, built to scale, and a short description of each planet. The Solar System walk can be taken on your own at any time during the Convention. However, a guided walk is available at the times mentioned above, when a docent will provide additional information about the “Solar System Walk” and each particular planet. The walk takes approximately ¾ of an hour if you walk all the way to the planet Neptune, with a total distance of 3,232 feet or a little over ½ of a mile.

Telescope Field Walk

During the “Telescope Field Walk” an experienced Amateur Telescope Maker will guide small groups through the fields around the Pink Clubhouse, where the telescopes that will be participating in the mechanical competition will be set up. Your guide will describe the various types of optical designs and mounting configurations that will be on display, point out the subtle details that go into award winning telescopes and be available to answer your questions.

Astrophotography Failures While Imaging Solar Eclipses

In spite of meticulous planning, things can go wrong before and during an eclipse. In his presentation, Al Takeda will tell us of his experience with equipment failures, logistical problems, and personal mistakes while setting up and imaging solar eclipses. He will show us some hints that will hopefully minimize your imaging failures, and allow you to capture some amazing eclipse photos.

AAVSO Support of Supernova Early Warning System

In the late 1980s supernova 1987A made headlines the world over as one of the first supernova in recent history to be visible to the naked eye. The amazing thing was that this star wasn't even in our galaxy. These events are crucial to our scientific understanding as we still don't know for sure what type of stars go supernova or what the lead-up process entails. For, this reason the SNEWS project was born with the goal to give forewarning on the next galactic supernova through neutrino detections. They have partnered with the AAVSO to monitor nearly 200 progenitor objects as well as be on-sky as soon as the next supernova is detected. We will discuss the state of this project, interesting results, and how you can get involved.

Observing Exoplanets with Amateur Equipment: How and Why

Exoplanet numbers are staggering. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has identified 7,125 candidate exoplanets, but just 430 have been confirmed (only 6%). The remaining candidates await confirmation through ground-based observation. Since few ground-based professional telescopes are dedicated to exoplanet transit observation, the community needs amateurs to help.

However, casual observing techniques lack the precision needed to measure the tiny dips in star brightness that happen when an exoplanet transits across its host's star's disk. Exotic equipment is not needed, but disciplined attention to detail is part of what enables measurement of star brightness to thousandths of a magnitude. We'll talk about the need for continuing observation of known exoplanets, opportunities to support the process of confirming candidates, some of the imaging techniques involved in making exoplanet transit observations, and the support available from the American Association of Variable Star Observers for those amateurs who want to pursue exoplanets. And for those who want to dip their toes in the water, we'll explore exoplanet targets that are relatively easy to observe.

Amateurs Mapping the Hydrogen Sky: the MDW Sky Survey

David Mittelman, Dennis di Cicco, and Sean Walker set out on an epic journey to image the hydrogen-alpha signal across the entire night sky. Not only are their images breathtaking, but their data have been used in a number of scientific publications. With 3,298 fields complete, they still have a ways to go, but their ambitious project continues...

Restoration of a 1895 12½ inch Warner & Swasey Telescope

A civic group in New York called Pioneer Works is planning a new public observatory. Adopting the “go big or go home” principle for telescopes, they purchased an antique 12½ inch refractor with a Brashear objective made in 1895 by Warner and Swasey. Alan Sliski was asked to go fetch the telescope in Ohio and restore it to at least its former glory. Alan will describe the disassembly and transport of the telescope and the cleaning and refinishing process for the 3 tons of telescope parts. A few parts are missing, and some need to be made new from scratch. The original mechanical clock drive disappeared for about 40 years, and will now be restored and put back in the telescope, working.

Open Clusters and Stellar Associations

Larry Mitchell is the Chairman of the Texas Star Party Advanced Observing Program. Its goal is to encourage people to visually observe objects they may have never heard of, or thought they could not see, and to successfully make their observations with modest-sized telescopes.

For eight years Larry has put together a wonderful observing program for us here at Stellafane. This year the “Hidden Gems of Stellafane” are Open Clusters and Asterisms. The 2024 Stellafane Telescope Observing Olympics list consists of only Open Clusters and Asterisms, and Larry will now tell us about them.

Anyone who successfully finds 15 or more of these Open Clusters and Asterisms during Convention is eligible to receive a pin commemorating that accomplishment.

Hartness House Workshop

Workshop and Dinner information is here. Separate registration and fees apply.

Astronomy Activities for Children

There will be two 1-hour astronomy workshops for children; each session has a different activity. These astronomy workshops have been held at the Stellafane Convention since 1995. Led by Dr. Kristine Larsen, Professor of Astronomy at Central Connecticut State University and a member of the Springfield Telescope Makers, each of the 1-hour workshops includes several activities geared for children ages 5 - 12. Younger children are welcome but will need help from a parent.

Due to space limitations, each workshop is limited to 20 children on a first-come basis. Late-comers may be turned away.

Friday 3 PM: Stars that Burp, Stars that Blow Up - What happens when a star dies? What do astronomers see? What can I see? Are there any dangerous stars nearby? Learn about T Cor Bor and other stars that burp and blow up.

Saturday 11 AM: Northern Lights – Did you see the Northern Lights in May? Many people did! Learn about what causes these dancing lights in the sky, how it is connected to Earth’s “magnet”, and make your own aurora artwork to bring home.

Teen Robotics Project

Stellafane Teen program participants will learn about the mission and technology behind NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, scheduled to launch on October 10, 2024 and expected to arrive in orbit around Europa in 2030, ready to explore Saturn’s orbiting ocean world. Europa Clipper’s primary science goal is to remotely explore below the icy surface shell and observe the ocean beneath, which could support life. This detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astro-biological potential of habitable worlds beyond our planet.

This will be a hands-on class where teens will work in teams to construct Europa Clipper inspired technology that will be demonstrated at the Convention. Attendance will be first-come first-served. If you are 100% sure your teen will attend Convention and want to attend this event, then you’ll need to get them on the list. Special note: There will be a lot of specialized instruction so you will need to be on time! We will be working with hand tools, so please no open toed shoes (sandals, flip-flops, etc.)

Solar Observing Hour

All attendees with solar filters or projection set-ups are encouraged to share the Sun with other attendees. The Simoni and Porter Turret observatories will be set up for solar observing as well.

Observing Olympics

Observing Olympics: Dusk to Midnight or later depending on observing conditions.
See the Observing Olympics Page for details and observing lists.

Cook Spectrohelioscope

The circa 1930 Cook Spectrohelioscope will be observing solar prominences and sunspots in hydrogen-alpha light. The Simoni Observatory is northwest of the Stellafane Clubhouse on Breezy Hill.

Porter Turret Telescope

The 1930 Porter Turret Telescope is located just north of the clubhouse on Breezy Hill.

McGregor Observatory

The McGregor Observatory, home of the 13-inch Schupmann Refractor, is located on a hilltop in the northwest corner of Stellafane East.

Breuning Observatory (Domed Observatory)

The domed Breuning Observatory is located just south of and downhill from the McGregor Observatory.

Hartness-Porter ATM Museum Open

The Hartness-Porter Museum of Amateur Telescope Making is located in the underground rooms at the Hartness House Inn. Admission is free. Follow the signs in town to the Hartness House at 30 Orchard Street of VT-143 (Map). Many of the items on display are by or about Russell W. Porter, including the Springfield and Garden telescopes. His artwork traces his arctic exploration years to his work on the 200" Palomar telescope, culminating in his famous cutaway drawings. Other items of interest include early telescopes and mirror making parts.

Large RV Permit Holders must arrive

Large RVs have to be pre-registered, and must arrive between Noon and 4PM on Thursday. Do not arrive early. We have large trucks making food deliveries and installing sanitation facilities before then.

Early Entry Permit Holders can arrive

Please do not arrive before 3:00 PM and do not park on Jordan Road. The large RV's come in before you, starting at noon. You will not be admitted before 3:00 PM, and our gate staff is busy getting the RV's safely in place.

Registration Gate

The hours of operation of the Registration Gate.

Shuttle Bus Operates

The Shuttle Bus makes two stops in Stellafane East, one by the Food Tent and one by the main Camping Area (See Stellafane East Site Map (pdf)). It makes one stop on Breezy Hill near the Clubhouse.