2016 Convention Photos

Here are photos of the 2016 Convention taken by the Springfield Telescope Makers and by Convention Attendees.

Whether you attended and want to try to find yourself in photo, or you couldn't attend and want to see what went on, you can spend some time browsing our gallery of general photos.

Check back frequently as this photo page traditionally takes some time to get completed...

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Photos by Ken Slater, Samantha Tabor, and Jay Drew of the Springfield Telescope Makers

Spectrohelioscope construction: new front porch. SHS Construction	SHS Construction: new mounting plate. SHS Construction	SHS Construction: new ventilation in the eaves. SHS Construction	John Martin and crew placing a memorial marker to Jonathan Morse John Kubota Martin	Moving the Tower of Babble to provide WiFi service to the Pine Island neighborhood. Tower of Babble	An exhausted STM President Dave Tabor is hauled off like so much road kill by Security. Dave and Mark
Sunset on Thursday night. Let the fun begin! Sunset	An eagle's eye view of the Saturday Evening Program. Eagle's View	Well, not so much eagle-ish, this shot is actually from a spot called Vulture Row. Vulture's Row

Photos by Tom Parker

Photos by Doug Arion of the Springfield Telescope Makers

Doug at the autocollimator during the Convention Mirror Testing Seminar. Mirror Testing Seminar	Learning how to evaluate optics, Conventioneers watch the Foucault test on our video display. Mirror Testing Seminar	Dave Kelly operating his Autocollimator testing rig for the Mirror Testing Seminar folks. Mirror Testing Seminar	Patrick and Steve Dodson watching as Doug and Dave test Patrick's first mirror. Mirror Testing Seminar	On the video display, the Foucault knife edge cuts cleanly across Patrick Dodson's mirror, showing a beautiful smooth parabola. Mirror Testing Seminar	Patrick and Steve celebrate the news that the figure on his mirror is essentially perfect. Patrick went on to win First Place Optical in the Telescope Competition. Mirror Testing Seminar
Dave and Doug examine another Conventioneer's mirror. Mirror Testing Seminar	Dave testing. Mirror Testing Seminar	Alvan Clark Reproduction refractor by Allen Hall and Dick Parker. Get ready to see a lot of pictures of these wonderful telescopes. Telescope Field	Alan Ward's Apocromatic Refractor shining in the sun. Telescope Field	One inch aperture f/39 refractor by Ken Spencer. Ken used this 18th century reproduction instrument to draw sunspots. Telescope Field	8" f/12 Newtonian on an equatorial mount by Jeffry Inman of Zion, IL. Telescope Field
Microwave radiometer by Jack Gleland, used to measure sky temperature in order to detect the cosmic microwave background from the Big Bang. Telescope Field	Fine work in a beautifully made open tube Newtonian. Telescope Field	Another view of the Clark refractors. Telescope Field	STM Jessica Johnson leads a group on her ever-popular Planet Walk. Planet Walk	A group of Appalacian Mountain Club interns sponsored by Doug Arion. AMC Interns

Photos by Jim Hendrickson of the Skyscrapers: Astronomical Society of Rhode Island

Hartness House Workshop Photos:

Inside the Hartness Turret Telescope.	Solar observing outside Hartness House.	Speaker at Hartness House Workshop.	Tunnel down to the Hartness-Porter Museum of Amateur Telescope Making.	Hartness House Workshop speaker.	Clif Ashcraft speaking.
Hartness House Workshop speaker.	Jay Drew and Johnny Lowe manning the Convention Fruit Stand.	Dan Lorraine, Hartness House Workshop Registrar. Thank you Dan!	Jim Daley speaking at Hartness House.	Hartness House speaker.	Dave Groski at the Hartness Turret. Dave donates a lot of time and talent to maintaining and operating this historic telescope.
Hartness House speaker.	Ken Spencer demonstrates his 18th Century reproduction solar telescope.	Last but not least, Hartness House Workshop Director Tom Spirock. Thank you too, Tom!	Hartness House on a beautiful summer day.	Grounds of the Governer's Mansion.	Interior shot of the graceful Hartness House.
Saturn and Mars in Scorpius from the Hartness House.

Photos by Bob Horton of the Skyscrapers: Astronomical Society of Rhode Island

Photos by Patrick Dodson of the Springfield Telescope Makers and the Sudbury Astronomy Club

Ken Slater working on the roof for the new spectrohelioscope.	Ken Slater and Jay Drew roofing the new SHS.	Ray Morits roofing with Ken and Jay. Ray provided the metal roof we are installing.	Alan Ward, second from left, demonstrates his award winning Apochromat.	Stargazer Steve Dodson with the lucky winner of his Teen Telescope Building seminar.	Tee shirts hanging like so much laundry in the breeze.
Clark Reproduction by Allen Hall and Dick Parker.	Another shot of the beautiful refractors.	Tom Nolasco's interesting reverse binocular telescope.	Alan's beautiful Apo.	Jeffry Inman's 8 inch f/12 Newtonian.	Sunset on Breezy Hill.
Twin refractors Castor and Pollux.	Pierre Lemay and his tracking ball telescope, a gift to his daughters.	Natalie and friend sing at the memorial service for STM Jonathan Morse.	Our new Tee Shirt Booth, moved out of the old spot that was chaotic with traffic across the road to Tuthill Towers.	Gary Sislack, who is in charge of Tee Shirts, and Natalie Dodson in the new booth.	Tony Costanzo, Natalie and friend sing at the memorial service for STM Jonathan Morse.
Thursday night dinner for the STM members and their families.	Steve and Mark admire Tom Kiehl's refurbished LE Brower telescope.	A new take on counterweights.	Clubhouse view.	Looking up, Alvan Clark style.	The business end of a fine instrument.

Photos by Sal Lariccia

Photos by Jay Drew of the Springfield Telescope Makers and The Thames Amateur Astronomical Society

Photos by Dick Koolish

Photos by Richard Sanderson of Feeding Hills, MA

Stellafane silhouette	6 inch refractor	Dave Groski with Spectrohelioscope	Jim Daley with the Spectrohelioscope	Simoni Observatory	6 inch refractor
Dick Parker and Alan Hall	Linda and Kerry Hurd	Phil Harrington at the swap tables	Kaitlynn, LeeAna, and Krystyna Goulette in the swap area	Phil Harrington, Dave Gallup, and Jack Megas at the swap tables	Swap table scene
Ken Launie and Sara Schechner at the swap tables	Bart Fried swapping	Dave Kelly and his daughter at the swap tables	Dennis Cassia	Renate and Joe Rao	Renate Rao, Rich Sanderson, an Joe Rao
Don and Joy Goulette and their children	Alan French, Fred Espenak, and Ken's Porter Garden Telescope	Ken Launie with his PGT	Porter Garden Scope in detail	Ken Launie with his PGT	Ron Woodland and Al Takeda
Constantine Papacosmas at his 60th Stellafane	Fred Espenak, keynote speaker	Clubhouse view	Rick and Janet Hunter in the Clubhouse getting ready for Optical Judging	George East and Mario Motta in the Flanders Pavilion	Dave Rose Bob Horton and Jim Hendrickson outside the Pavilion
STM President Dave Tabor at the Saturday Evening Program	Dick Parker recieves award	Kristine Larson delivers the Stellafane Shadowgram	Fred Espenak delivers his keynote address	Real Manseau and Al Nagler at the Museum	Richard Sanderson and Bert Willard in the Musem
Bert Willard and Al Nagler visiting at the Museum

Photos by Kris Larsen of the Springfield Telescope Makers

Kris presented our Shadowgram this year and many of these pictures are from that talk

Photos by Phillip Levine

Al Takeda with scope at McGregor Field	Paul Courtmanche and Al Takeda admire Paul's swap table Schmidt Newtonian	Russian Astronomer Byurakan Talk by Larry Mitchell	Saturday morning swap tables	Solar observing on McGregor Field	Solar observing with a TeleVue Pronto and h-alpha filter (Photo by Al Nagler).
Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.	Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.	Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.	Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.	Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.	Solar observing in white light and h-alpha.
Soviet science featuring Byurakan by Larry Mitchell.

Photos by Carl Malikowski of the Springfield Telescope Makers

Photos by Eileen Meyers of the Springfield Telescope Makers and The Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston

Al Takeda	Carl Malikowski	Doug Arion	Mario Motta	Mario Motta	Francis O'Reilly
Paul Courtemanche	Rich Sanderson	Ted Blank

Photos by Michael Patterson of the Springfield Telescope Makers

Castor and Pollux, twin refractors built by Dick Parker and Alan Hall	Castor, eyepiece end	Castor, looking west	Castor, mount from the south	Clubhouse group	Speed governer reglating clock drive
Another shot of the governer	Pollux, drive mechanism	Pollux, equatorial mount	Sector arm friction drive	Spectrohelioscope: adjusting the coelostat	Spectrohelioscope: aligning the mirrors
Spectrohelioscope: aligning the polar axis on the coelostat	Spectrohelioscope: Dave Groski and Dave Prowten work on alignment	Spectrohelioscope: Dave Groski checking the image with the prisms in place	Spectrohelioscope: first image of the sun on the slit!	Spectrohelioscope: installing the grating	Spectrohelioscope: Matt Considine adjusts the mirror alignment