Thames Amateur Astronomical Society

Lyme Land Trust Astronomy Night

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Event

DATE COULD SHIFT BASED ON WEATHER– After our December hiatus, observing is back! Orion, Gemini and Taurus dominate the night sky, and Jupiter shines brightly high overhead.

We have several different telescopes that are on display including a 14″ Schmidt-Cassegrain housed in a permanent observatory. Inside the observatory, you can watch deep sky objects grow in detail and full color on a wall-mounted monitor. Public sessions are hosted by Alan Sheiness and co-facilitated by one or more of our growing cadre of experienced astronomy cohorts.

Upon registration you will receive a link to directions and observing session guidelines. For questions or comments, please contact us at astronomy@lymelandtrust.org. Young or old, experienced or totally unfamiliar, we look forward to exposing you to our uniquely dark skies here in Lyme.

And if you have a telescope, we encourage you to bring it out. The more, the merrier. Just follow the guidelines in the pdf you receive when you RSVP on this page: https://www.lymelandtrust.org/astronomy-event/january-25-2025-astronomy-observing-session/

Directions to site available after RSVP. 

Clear skies!

Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025

Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Eastern

Information for Visitors

Event Report

Comments and anecdotes about the event:
This is heartbreaking, but with the current snow cover and cold, it is unsafe for people and cars at our Trail 53 facility. We are forced to cancel this session. The good news is the Parade of Planets is not a one-night event. They will all be out for several more weeks. Mars and Jupiter will be out for longer than that. I urge you to register for the Feb 1 event instead. If for any reason we are still unable to open Trail 53 by then, you will be notified via this email for the soonest replacement session possible. In the interim, here is what to look for on your own on any clear night: Face due south as best as you can. (The setting sun should be off to your right.) Look left of almost straight up and you will see an unmistakable bright white 'star'. That is Jupiter. Extend your right arm out towards the sunset spot. The even brighter white 'star' you see above your hand is Venus. Extend your left arm out in the opposite direction. The orange-ish 'star" you see is Mars. The other planets require a more precise method to find, and a telescope to discern. But if you look at any bright star in the sky in binoculars (or a small telescope of you have one), and then at any one of these three planets, you will be sure to see for yourself they are not stars. Here is the link directly to the Feb 1 event: https://www.lymelandtrust.org/astronomy-event/february-1-2025-special-winter-session/