[2015-Nov-25] We are grateful for a donation of precision annealed molded primary blanks this month from
United Lens Company of Southbridge, MA. This donation will
lower the costs for our annual mirror class for us and
our students, directly supporting our mission of
preserving amateur telescope optics fabrication.
United Lens is celebrating it's 100th
anniversary in 2016, now in it's fourth generation of a
family owned business. They have a long history of being
generous to amateur telescope makers, so it is no
surprise this is not the first donation we have received
from them.
We appreciate their support, and wish them all the
best in their anniversary year and in the future!
Board of Directors Re-elected
[2015-Nov-14] At the November business meeting, last year's Directors were
returned for another year of service.
Dave Tabor President
Ken Slater Vice President
Carl Malikowski Secretary
Al Monkowski Treasurer
Gary Cislak Past President
Dave Prowten Trustee
Jeff Lowe Trustee
Cavendish fifth grade students take notes about the sundial on the south wall of the clubhouse.
Cavendish 5th Graders at Stellafane
Cavendish 5th Grade Visits Stellafane
[2015-Oct-26] The Cavendish Elementary School fifth grade class visited Stellafane today, touring Breezy Hill, the Porter Turret Telescope, observing sunspots and touring the Stellafane Clubhouse. This field trip followed a classroom visit last week by club member Ken Slater, who has been working with teacher Ann Thompson for seven years on these visits.
Adding some history and observational elements to the fifth grade astronomy curriculum, the students are exposed to the local history of amateur astronomy movement in the United States at Stellafane; they learn that you can make your own telescope and see and use several homemade telescopes; outdoor group activities illustrate why constellations rotate through the seasons; we talk about the solar cycle and sun spots, and observe sunspots through a telescope Stellafane donated to the class; the Stellafane meteorite is examined and it's origins and history are derived; and we answer an amazing number of interesting free-form questions that all that are prompted by all that they see at Stellafane. Using compasses and student made astrolabes, the bearing and elevation of several mountains visible from Breezy Hill are recorded by each student.
Today was a glorious fall day, clear, sunny, warm and still beautiful with fall colors. With a clear view of the Okemo ski area in Ludlow from Breezy hill, the students could estimate where Cavendish is located (between Ludlow and Springfield).
A little snow sculpture by David McGaw. Soon he'll be working in bronze like Russell Porter.
Up All Night 2015 Snowman
Annual Open House & Star Party
[2015-Oct-19] Held on
the weekend of October 16-17, our 19th annual Up All
Night star party and open house was a great success. We shared Breezy Hill with approximately 100
guests including students and educators from elementary schools and a college, scouts, 4H'ers, and
lots of our neighbors from nearby. The clubhouse was
warm and cozy with a fire in the fireplace and good food
and conversation in the room.
The Porter Turret
Telescope was operated by STMs John Gallagher and Tom
Spirok and many fine objects, including Uranus and
Neptune, were enjoyed by all. Several members and guests
were using telescopes on the lawn. The seeing on Friday
night was fantastic and several of us stayed up until
dawn. Saturday evening was marked by a sudden snow
squall and there was a rush to get telescopes taken down
and put away while STM David McGaw made the lovely table sized
snowman at right. No, that is not mashed potatoes, that
is good ol' Vermont snowfall.
Thanks to the Breuning and Wilder families for hosting
all these years. The warm welcome and delicious food are
wonderful. Hope to see everyone again next year!
Stellafane does Steampunk
[2015-Sep-12]
Stellafane was part of the Springfield Steampunk Festival on September 11 and 12. We gave of tours of (the very steampunky) Hartness Turret Telescope and our Amateur Telescope
Making Museum in the underground chambers of the Hartness House. The Porter
Garden Telescope as a particular favorite of our visitors this weekend. Here are several photos
of only a very few of the Steampunkers who visited us this weekend - we were very busy all weekend.
Photos and captions by Jay Drew
Springfield Steampunk Festival: Airship Ladies
Airship Ladies
Springfield Steampunk Festival: Inside the Hartness Turret Telescope
Inside the Hartness Turret Telsecope
Springfield Steampunk Festival: The Dashing Dandies
The Dashing Dandies
Springfield Steampunk Festival: Vampire Hunters
Vampire Hunters
Saint-Gaudens Star Party September 5th
[2015-Aug-26]
For the sixth year, Stellafane will be partnering with the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, NH
to hold a free, public Star Party there on Saturday evening September 5th. The evening will start with an 8:00 PM talk about the history of
astronomy in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. Following that, as darkness falls, we will be viewing through many telescopes on the west facing lawn,
and members of the Springfield Telescope makers will be available to show you many interesting objects in the night sky and answer your questions about astronomy.
Please see this
National Park Service Press Release
(PDF) for full details and information about rain-out/cloud-out dates. This has been a popular event in past years
with good attendance - we look forward to showing you the night sky!
We will also be holding and Open House and Star Party at Stellafane in Springfield, VT on Friday & Saturday October 16-17. Check back here for more details
as those dates draw near.
Stellafane's Tom Spirock Interviewed by Vermont Pubic Radio
[2015-Aug-13]
VPR's Jane Lindholm interviewed long time club member and former secretary Tom Sprirock about Stellafane, the Convnetion and Telescope Making
on the opening day of the 2015 Convention. You can
listen to this excellent interview on
VPR.net.
Dennis di Cicco wins NERAL 2015 Walter Scott Houston Award!
[2015-Jul-30] Long-time
STM member Dennis di Cicco has been honored with the
Walter Scott Houston Award, which will be presented at
the Stellafane Convention Saturday evening program on
August 15.
The NERAL Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday August 15, 2015 at 5:00pm at the Stellafane Convention under the FOOD TENT. The public is welcome!
Old Roof with missing ridge board. Member Matt Considine reaches up to pull a nail.
Old Roof
New Roof and Eve Boards. West side roof and ridge boards not yet installed; painting incomplete.
New Roof
New Roof for the Porter Turret
[2015-May-16] Our president found the ridge board from Porter Turret Telescope blown off on his first visit to the site in 2015,
and he scheduled a roof replacement work day after noticing the shingles were rather 'crispy'.
The old shingles were stripped, the old tar
impregnated roll roofing underneath was in very good
condition and left on. The south side eve boards were
getting punky, and they were replaced. White aluminum
drip edge was added, as well as new 15 pound tar paper.
Premium red cedar shakes were installed on the west
side.
Those activities filled the day, and the east side
shakes, red cedar ridge boards and painting will be
finished up in early June.
Participating in this project were President Dave
Tabor and Julie Tabor, Past President Jeff Lowe, Matt Considine, Steven
Forbes, VP Ken Slater, Tatyana, Olga and Zhenya
Malikowski.
Webmaster Ken Slater has created a page documenting this
change here.
