Check out the 2013 schedule of public star parties which are now posted for our 2013 observing season starting in April and concluding in October. These sessions are open to the general public, but members of course are down at the Darling Hill Observatory far more often than the dates listed here.

Greetings fellow Astrophiles!

We apologize for the technical difficulties on this website. We are in the state of flux with regard to website servicing and timely updates. Things will improve and we ask for your patience.

Because of the fabulous stretch of weather we are now experiencing, the lack of good observation weather for the past couple of months, just coming off a new Moon and the Leonids arriving late tonight/early tomorrow morning, we are anxiously awaiting this evening’s opening of the observatory for your viewing pleasure. The Moon is going to be a sliver of a waxing crescent just after sunset and won’t be an issue. However, due to the fact that meteor showers tend to increase as the evening progresses, we are planning on opening up around 8pm. Please dress for COLD WEATHER!

Dan Williams

Greetings fellow astrophile!

In the interest of reaching the larger CNY astronomy community, the SAS is happy to post information for people in the CNY area about astronomical equipment for sale. The SAS takes no responsibility for any aspect of the sale itself, but simply provides an outlet to members and nonmembers alike.

The following scope is available from Richard Headrick (richard@forex-ice.com). More information can be found at plattsburgh.craigslist.org/bar/3178989066.html.

This Meade 10″ lx200 telescope with GPS and UHTC high precision smart drive in Great condition. The scope has no dents or dings. Has been stored in a climate controlled environment.

Over 60,000 objects in its computer library allows even the novice astronomer to find exactly what he is searching for. It provides full go to function so anyone can operate it with just the press of a button. State of the art computer interface allows you to download images digitally (with a digital camera) right onto your computer screen inside the comfort of your own home. You can control all functions remotely with your mouse.

This scope package includes a, 26 mm eyepiece,cover, cables, hand controller, tripod, visual back, and finder scope. This scope package would cost over $3500 new. Lots of extras also included are a, filter, extra cables, extra eye pieces, etc. email for details.

We are campers so a golf cart, sea doo, or camp related items… Make us a barter offer, or $ is good too ;-)

Greetings fellow astrophiles,

The consensus among our weather sources is that tonight will either be mostly cloudy with bad transparency or partly cloudy with bad transparency, in both cases featuring the potential for storms before sunset. Worse still, tomorrow night looks even worse. We hope for better conditions for next month, when Jupiter will return to our pre-midnight skies!

Greetings fellow astrophiles,

There are mixed reports as to the amount of cloud cover tonight, but all agree that the chance of precipitation is low. Coupled with the fact that the Perseids will not wait for our conditions to improve, we’ll be opening the observatory in hopes of having clear-enough skies for catching the peak of the meteor shower late tonight. The winds are predicted to be higher than ideal for telescope observing, so we might not have lots of equipment set up (but will try regardless).

If you plan on attending, consider something to place on the ground between it and yourself. The best show will radiate from the North-East but will be right above us, so consider your neck!

And for those already looking up, we’re getting three ISS fly-bys tonight (courtesy the predictive tools at heavens-above.com)!