May News from Dudley

April News from Dudley

The Octagon Barn talk and telescope observing.

Friday, May 11, 8pm - "Aphrodite's Shadow, (The June 5 Venus Transit and How to Observe it Safely)" by Alan French

When Venus catches up with our Earth and passes between us and the Sun, the planet usually passes above or below the Sun. At intervals of more than 100 years, Venus passes in front of, or transits, the Sun twice, with the transit pair separated by 8 years. The last transit was on June 8, 2004, and the next is visible here on June 5 of this year. The last transit was in progress as the Sun rose. This transit will start just after 6:00 pm, and will still be in progress as the Sun sets.
Observing the Sun without proper equipment is dangerous and can quickly cause permanent, irreversible eye damage. The talk will include ways to safely observe this rare event.
The next transit of Venus will not be in our lifetime. The next pair occurs on December 11, 2117, and December 8, 2125.

"This was the BEST DAY EVER!"

It's always rewarding to hear the enthusiastic outbursts from students enjoying Starlab programs.

Dudley Outreach Educators bring the portable planetarium to schools to offer a variety of programs on topics including the solar system, moon phases, seasons, and Greek mythology & Native American constellations. If your school is a member of BOCES, please call 518-464-3999 for scheduling and information.

For other programs, please call Dudley for pricing and availability 518-382-7583.

 

The Dudley Observatory, chartered by the State of New York in 1852, is the oldest independent organization in the United States supporting research and education in astronomy and the history of astronomy. Our library contains one of the world's finest collections of historically significant astronomical texts, including rare books of Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler.  The Dudley Observatory Archives is a fascinating collection of historical records pertaining to both astronomy and Albany.

The Dudley Observatory was founded through the generosity of those who saw our Capital Region as an economic and intellectual center, the "Tech Valley" of its day.  In the last 150 years, the Dudley Observatory has periodically changed the focus of its work to reflect the needs of the community.

During the 20th century, Dudley Observatory astronomers achieved world class status with their accurate determination of the positions and motions of more than 30,000 stars. These observations form the sole example in the history of astronomy of the precise position and proper motion determination of all stars visible to the unaided eye with a single high precision telescope.

The current focus of the Dudley Observatory is on using astronomy to promote science education, with an emphasis on education, recruitment and early career development in science and technology.  We have enjoyed a great deal of success with projects that fire the imaginations of the young, nurture them through the early stages of career development, and instill a life-long appreciation and enjoyment of science.