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STELLAFANE

CONVEnTION

Schedule of Events

This Schedule is about 90% complete.

A few more talks and activities may be added.

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Porter Turret Telescope at sunset
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Clubhouse Treasure Hunt for Children

Youth Events

Saturday

2:00 PM

4:00 PM

Clubhouse

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Age 5-16 Drop in at any scheduled time to pick up your Clubhouse Treasure Hunt list from the Telescope Competition Registrar in the Clubhouse. Two lists will be available, one for ages 5-7 years old, and another for ages 8-16 years. Hunt in the Clubhouse for the items on the list at your own pace and return your completed Treasure Hunt list to the Telescope Competition Registrar for a small prize! Saturday Bonus - the Mechanical portion of the Telescope Competition will be occurring at the Clubhouse on Saturday at the same time! The judges will close the Clubhouse for deliberations during the Mechanical Competition, but it will most likely be open during the times scheduled for the Treasure Hunt.

McGregor Observatory Solar Observing

Observing

Saturday

2:00 PM

5:00 PM

McGregor Observatory

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

Membership Information Session

All Level Talks

Saturday

2:00 PM

2:30 PM

Clubhouse

Cecilia Detrich & Tom Spirock

Have you ever wondered about how to become a member of the Springfield Telescope Makers (STM)? Stop by the historic pink Stellafane clubhouse for this presentation from two Full Members to learn what membership in STM is all about and find out what it takes to become a member of this historic organization.

Solar Observing Hour

Observing

Saturday

2:00 PM

3:00 PM

Observing Fields

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All attendees with solar filters or projection set-ups are encouraged to share the Sun with other attendees

Telescope Making Demo

Telescope Making

Saturday

2:00 PM

4:00 PM

Tent by T-Shirt Sales

Bob Trzcinski

Dobsonian Basics

Try it Yourself! Hands on Grinding

Telescope Making

Saturday

2:00 PM

4:00 PM

Small Tent by T-Shirt Sales

TBD

Give mirror grinding a try!

A History of Mirror Coating

Advanced Talk

Saturday

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

Flanders Pavilion

Dave Sopchak

Mirrors and methods of getting nice shiny surfaces on them have changed over the centuries. Polishing speculum metal, chemical silvering of glass surfaces, and vacuum aluminizing and sputtering of more exotic coatings are some of the most common methods. This talk will go through this history, and practical amateur methods of coating mirrors, including the speaker's own experience with chemical silvering and vacuum aluminizing.

What We Know, What We Think We Know, and What We Absolutely Don’t Know

Advanced Talk

Saturday

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

Flanders Pavilion

Larry Mitchell

For nine years Larry Mitchell has described amazing objects that we can visually see at Stellafane with our own telescopes. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Stellafane Observing Olympics, Larry Mitchell will talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what we absolutely don’t know.

Saturday Evening Program & Keynote Talk

Major Events

Saturday

7:00 PM

9:00 PM

Amphitheater (Flanders Pavilion if rain)

Katie Sushdock, MC

Includes Keynote, Shadowgram, Raffles & Awards

Observing Olympics

Observing

Saturday

8:30 PM

12:00 AM

Observing Fields

Eileen Myers

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

Breuning Observatory Observing

Observing

Saturday

9:00 PM

12:00 AM

Breuning Observatory

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

McGregor Observatory Observing

Observing

Saturday

9:00 PM

12:00 AM

McGregor Observatory

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

Porter Turret Telescope

Observing

Saturday

9:00 PM

12:00 AM

Porter Turret Telescope

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

Optical Competition (Only if not held Friday)

Telescope Competition

Saturday

10:00 PM

2:00 AM

Fields around Clubhouse

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We no longer provide printed schedules. There will be large schedule posters at all major buildings. You may want to download schedules to your device, or print them at home.

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Pop-up Exhibits at various times near the T-shirt Sales and Mirror Making Demo:

  • American Precision Museum (Windsor, VT)

  • DarkSky Vermont (Local chapter of DarkSky International)

  • AAVSO - American Association of Variable Star Observers)

  • RVTC Drone & Robotics Team

  • NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

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Sunday: If you are camping at Stellafane, please clean up around your site and deposit trash in the dumpsters in the food area on your way out. Pickup Observing Olympics pins 10:30 to 11:30 hillside below the McGregor. You can also visit our new Stellafane Museum downtown on your way to the Interstate.

The Compact Schedules only list Talks, Workshops, Demoes and Activities

omitting many items listed in the full schedules, and focus on daytime items.

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