SMA Star Parties

	Everyone is welcome to come to our public star parties! If you have a telescope but are not sure how to use it, then bring it along. If you are thinking of buying a telescope or binoculars, a star party is a good place to see a number of different types of telescopes in use and to learn which ones might appeal to you. And, it is fun to just come out and have a look! Our members are knowledgeable and are eager to share their views through their telescopes. Periodically, we also have star parties that are limited to SMA members. Please check the star party schedule for more information.
Date:	Location:
Saturday, Oct. 24	Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing at the Crystal Spring Farm at 277 Plesant Hill Road at the corner of Woodside Road in Brunswick starting at sunset. Join us to look through member scopes and our new BIG 15" club telescope:
Friday, Sep. 18	- Star Party - Boston University Astronomy Club Join us at Paul Howell's backyard observatory for a star party! We will have some undergraduate and graduate astronomy students from Boston University joining us as well. Then, we will observe at what many consider one of the best times of the year - Fall. Right now the Milky Way is high in the sky and filled with lots of bright Messier objects. Our day starts in the afternoon on Friday and goes, well, as late as it goes! Refreshements and munchies will be served. Also featured will be some not-so astronomy related things like rocket launches and maybe even a potato canon... Don't miss this one, it should be a boatload of fun!
Past Star Parties
Saturday, April. 25th	- Member Star Party Join us at Steve Innes' backyard observatory for a star party! A message will be posted to the Yahoo! SMA site with directions, and on this web site as the date draws near (and weather predictions become more reliable).
Saturday, Oct. 4th	- Star Party - Observatory Christening - Short Talks by Boston University Graduate Students Join us at Paul Howell's backyard observatory for a star party! Paul's new observatory will see first light and we have some undergraduate and graduate astronomy students from Boston University joining us as well. Some of the graduate students will give short talks on their research. Then, we will observe at what many consider one of the best times of the year - Fall. Right now the Milky Way is high in the sky and filled with lots of bright Messier objects. Our day starts in the afternoon on Friday and goes, well, as late as it goes! Refreshements and munchies will be served. Also featured will be some not-so astronomy related things like rocket launches and maybe even a potato canon to celebrate the opening of Paul's new fully robotic observatory. Don't miss this one, it should be a boatload of fun!
Saturday, October 18th	Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public solar observing and later, stargazing at the Twin Brook Recreation Area on Tuttle Road in Cumberland. Stargazing starts at dusk. View Larger Map

Saturday, September 6th	Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing at Cape Elizabeth High School in Cape Elizabeth starting at sunset.
Saturday, November 1st	View the Sun and the Moon at the LL Bean Northern Lights Celebration! We will be setting up at the Discovery Plaza at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport. During daylight we will observe the Sun, and when night falls we will gaze through our telescopes at the Moon, maybe some planets and perhaps even a few double stars or bright nebulae (weather permitting of course). There will be lots of other activities also, so bring the whole famliy! .
Saturday, November 15th	Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing in Harpswell in conjunction with the Harpswell Historical Society Viewing starts at sunset. Join us to look through member scopes and our 15" club telescope:

Everyone is welcome to come to our public star parties!

If you have a telescope but are not sure how to use it, then bring it along. If you are thinking of buying a telescope or binoculars, a star party is a good place to see a number of different types of telescopes in use and to learn which ones might appeal to you. And, it is fun to just come out and have a look!

Our members are knowledgeable and are eager to share their views through their telescopes.

Periodically, we also have star parties that are limited to SMA members. Please check the star party schedule for more information.

Date:

Location:

Saturday,
Oct. 24

Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing at the Crystal Spring Farm at 277 Plesant Hill Road at the corner of Woodside Road in Brunswick starting at sunset. Join us to look through member scopes and our new BIG 15" club telescope:

Friday, Sep. 18

- Star Party
- Boston University Astronomy Club

Join us at Paul Howell's backyard observatory for a star party!

We will have some undergraduate and graduate astronomy students from Boston University joining us as well. Then, we will observe at what many consider one of the best times of the year - Fall. Right now the Milky Way is high in the sky and filled with lots of bright Messier objects.

Our day starts in the afternoon on Friday and goes, well, as late as it goes! Refreshements and munchies will be served. Also featured will be some not-so astronomy related things like rocket launches and maybe even a potato canon...

Don't miss this one, it should be a boatload of fun!

Past Star Parties

Saturday, April. 25th

- Member Star Party

Join us at Steve Innes' backyard observatory for a star party! A message will be posted to the Yahoo! SMA site with directions, and on this web site as the date draws near (and weather predictions become more reliable).

Saturday, Oct. 4th

- Star Party
- Observatory Christening
- Short Talks by Boston University Graduate Students

Join us at Paul Howell's backyard observatory for a star party!

Paul's new observatory will see first light and we have some undergraduate and graduate astronomy students from Boston University joining us as well. Some of the graduate students will give short talks on their research. Then, we will observe at what many consider one of the best times of the year - Fall. Right now the Milky Way is high in the sky and filled with lots of bright Messier objects.

Our day starts in the afternoon on Friday and goes, well, as late as it goes! Refreshements and munchies will be served. Also featured will be some not-so astronomy related things like rocket launches and maybe even a potato canon to celebrate the opening of Paul's new fully robotic observatory.

Don't miss this one, it should be a boatload of fun!

Saturday, October 18th

Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public solar observing and later, stargazing at the Twin Brook Recreation Area on Tuttle Road in Cumberland. Stargazing starts at dusk.

View Larger Map

Saturday, September 6th

Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing at Cape Elizabeth High School in Cape Elizabeth starting at sunset.

Saturday, November 1st

View the Sun and the Moon at the LL Bean Northern Lights Celebration!

We will be setting up at the Discovery Plaza at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport. During daylight we will observe the Sun, and when night falls we will gaze through our telescopes at the Moon, maybe some planets and perhaps even a few double stars or bright nebulae (weather permitting of course).

There will be lots of other activities also, so bring the whole famliy!

. Brochure

Saturday, November 15th

Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) will be offering an evening of public stargazing in Harpswell in conjunction with the Harpswell Historical Society Viewing starts at sunset. Join us to look through member scopes and our 15" club telescope: