Past Events

FALL 2009

October 13, 2009
November 10, 2009
Dec 8, 2009

Tuesdays
7:30pm

Pre-Lecture Dinner Specials

Sponsorship Levels

Dudley Observatory Skywatch Lectures

October 13, November 10, December 8 in the GE Theatre at Proctors

Three popular lectures celebrate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo, and the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing.

Tickets:
Oct 13 - FREE at the door
Nov & Dec - $5 Students, $8 Members of Dudley Observatory & UCALL, $10 General   

Eric Chaisson - October 13, 2009 at 7:30pm

Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature

Using astronomical telescopes and biological microscopes, among a virtual arsenal of other tools of high technology, modern scientists are weaving a thread of understanding spanning the origin, existence, and destiny of all things. Now emerging is a unified scenario of the cosmos, including ourselves as sentient beings, based on the time-honored concept of change. From galaxies to snowflakes, from stars and planets to life itself, we are beginning to identify an underlying, ubiquitous pattern penetrating the fabric of all the natural sciences--a sweepingly encompassing view of the order and structure of every known class of object in our richly endowed Universe.

Eric J. Chaisson is an American astrophysicist and science educator best known for his research, teaching and writing on the interdisciplinary science of cosmic evolution.  He is also noted for his original research on the interstellar clouds and emission nebulae of the Milky Way Galaxy, and for his leadership in improving science education nationally and internationally.   

Chaisson earned his PhD at Harvard University in 1972 and has since held appointments at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Johns Hopkins University, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. He is currently director of the Wright Center for Science Education at Tufts University, where he holds research professorships in the department of physics and in the school of education. As an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, he also serves with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, where he teaches an annual undergraduate course on the subject of cosmic evolution.

   Chaisson has published more than a hundred papers in the refereed journals and written a dozen books, several of which have won awards, such as the B.J. Bok Prize (Harvard) for astronomical discoveries, the Smith-Weld Prize (Harvard) for literary merit, and the Kistler Award for increasing understanding of subjects shaping the future of humanity. He has also won scholarly prizes from Phi Beta Kappa and the American Institute of Physics, a Certificate of Merit from NASA for work on the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as fellowships from the Sloan Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences.

Michael Turner - November 10, 2009 at 7:30pm

"The Dark Side of the Universe: Beyond stars and the starstuff we are made of"

The sky is filled with hundreds of billions of galaxies, all lit up by their stars. But, stars account for less than one percent of the material in the Universe, and galaxies are held together by a new form of matter -- dark matter -- that accounts for 1/3 of the stuff in the Universe. The other 2/3 exists as in an even more mysterious form -- dark energy -- and is causing the expansion of the Universe to speed up, rather than slow down.

Michael Turner's research focuses on the application of modern ideas in elementary particle theory to cosmology and astrophysics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a leading proponent of the theory of the origin of the universe known as the "Cold Dark Matter Theory." Turner chaired the National Research Council's Committee on the Physics of the Universe, which in 2003 published Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos. The report assessed the scientific opportunities that occur on the frontiers of research at the intersection of physics and astronomy. Turner completed a two-year term as assistant director for mathematical and physical sciences at the National Science Foundation in 2006.

“Dudley Night” at Union College Observatory

Dudley Observatory is hosting a series of open houses to showcase the observatories and planetariums in the Capital Region. The first will be held at Union College Observatory, and will feature viewing with the 20" Ritchey-Chretien telescope on the roof of the Olin Center. Targets will include Jupiter, and the Ring Nebula and Dumbbell Nebula in the summer Milky Way. If the sky is not clear, we will provide a tour of the Observatory and tell you about improvements currently under way. Free and open to the public!

May 2, 2009
Saturday
all day

Various Venues

National Astronomy Day

Saturday, May 2, is National Astronomy Day, and it will be celebrated at several venues in the Capital District. From Noon until 4 PM members of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers, and representatives and Rising Star Interns from Dudley Observatory will be at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center at 25 Quackenbush Square. Weather permitting, special telescopes will provide safe views of the Sun, and amateur astronomers will be on hand to answer your questions about the night sky and telescopes.

From 8:30 until 10:00 PM on Saturday night the Pine Bush Discovery Center at 195 Karner Road will host a star party featuring views of the Moon and Saturn. Members of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers and Dudley Observatory's Rising Star Interns will provide telescopes for your viewing enjoyment. The star party will be canceled if the skies are mostly cloudy, and there is a modest admission charge - $2 per person of $5 per family. Call the center at 456-0655 for details or, if the weather seems questionable, to verify that the event is being held.

On Saturday night open houses will be held at Union College's observatory and RPI's Hirsch Observatory Weather permitting, the observatory at Union College, located on top of the Olin Center, will be open from 8:30 until 10:00 PM. Hirsch Observatory will be open from 8:00 until 10:00 PM, and there will be an alternate program if the cloudy skies preclude observing.

May 3, 2009
Sunday
4:00 - 6:00pm

Brochure

LEARN TO USE YOUR TELESCOPE

Do you own a telescope?
Do you know how to use it?
Would you like some help?

Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
195 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205
Directions

COST $20.00 per telescope
(free to members of Dudley and Friends of Pine Bush) Join today!

RSVP Call Dudley Observatory at 382-7583 to reserve your spot. Please tell us the make & model of your telescope.

WORKSHOP INCLUDES
All the essentials to get you started using your telescope to observe
the wonders of the universe: Learn to balance and collimate your
telescope, align and use the finder scope, use star maps, and more...

March 7, 2009
Saturday
4:00 - 6:00pm

January 10, 2009
Saturday
7:00pm

Brochure

CELEBRATE THE START OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY (IYA2009)
January 10th 2009
7:00-9:00 PM
Choose from one of three locations.
See the list below for time and address of the star party that will be closest to you!

Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center
195 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205   518-456-0655
Including a show on the Solar System Free Admission

Schenectady Museum & Planetarium
15 Nott Terrace, Schenectady, NY 12308   518-382-7890
Including a mini Planetarium Show $4 students, $5.25 seniors, $6.50 adults, free for members

Children’s Museum of Science & Technology
250 Jordan Rd., Troy, NY 12180    518-235-2120
Including a mini Planetarium Show $5 for ages 2 and up, free for members

Dudley Observatory Skywatch Lectures
Broadcast on cable TV:

Prof. John Delano
“NASA’s search for life in the Universe”
Friday, December 19 @ 2:30 pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16
Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16

Dr. Sten Odenwald
"Cosmology in the 21stCentury"
Friday, December 26 @ 2:30 pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16
Saturday, December 27 at 7:30 pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16

Dava Sobel
"Galileo and the International Year of Astronomy"
Wed. November 5, 2008 at 2:00pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16
Thurs. November 6, 2008 at 10:30pm on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16

Watch for additional listings

FALL 2008

October 9, 2008
November 13, 2008
December 11, 2008

Thursdays
8:00pm

Pre-Lecture Dinner Specials

Sponsors & Honorary Committee

Sponsorship Levels

Dudley Observatory Skywatch Lectures

October 9, 2008 - December 11, 2008 in the GE Theatre at Proctors

Three popular lectures will herald the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo.    

Dava Sobel - October 9, 2008 at 8:00pm
"Galileo and the International Year of Astronomy"
In October 1609, using his own handmade telescope, Galileo initiated the string of discoveries that opened the heavens to scientific scrutiny. In 2009, everyone--not just astronomy buffs, but non-astronomers with no prior experience or interest in the subject--will be able to see all the things Galileo saw, from the phases of Venus to the moons of Jupiter.

Also: Unveiling of Historic remake of "Dedication of the Dudley Observatory"

Prof. John Delano - November 13, 2008 at 8:00pm
“NASA’s search for life in the Universe”
Is life common, or is it rare, in the Universe?  What about planets orbiting other stars?  Are they common, or are they rare?  Are the basic molecular ingredients necessary for forming life elsewhere in the Universe common or rare?  These are just some of the questions, which have been asked by human beings for centuries, to be explored in this Skywatch Lecture.  Not only is NASA working hard on these, and other, questions, but some tantalizing answers have already emerged.  The United States Space Agency is currently designing instruments and spacecraft capable of detecting life on planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy.  It currently seems reasonable to imagine that the current generation of humans will soon be able to point at stars in the night sky having planets where life will be known to exist.  That will be a startling point when we as a species can peer at a living Universe.

Dr. Sten Odenwald - December 11, 2008 at 8:00pm
"Cosmology in the 21stCentury"
Dark matter, dark energy, strings theory, extra dimensions and Higgs Bosons. These pivotal ideas in 21st Century cosmology are about to be put to the test as the European Large Hadron Collider continues to power-up since last September. How did the universe start? Why does it look the way it does today? What is the nature of mass, energy and dimension? With each new discovery, we are pushed towards ever-more subtle questions requiring the efforts of nations and armies of scientists and engineers to answer. Tonight, we will explore what questions have firm answers, and what questions remain open for the latest round of investigation. We will explore the subtle interplay between space, matter and dimensionality on the quantum scale, and the imprints they have on the cosmic scale. We will also look at what new discoveries await the latest experimental researches by LHC, neutrino and gravity wave telescopes, and future space observatories. Finally, we will step back and see how well the emerging picture of the physical universe matches our intuitive and religious views about creation and destiny.

"Open Mic" Night
Come share your stories of the Observatory’s past!
Reunite with neighbors and coworkers, and connect with new
people whose past has also intertwined with the Observatory’s.
Dudley has been a presence in the community for over 150 years,
and we’d love to hear your memories and learn how the
Observatory may have affected your life. We will add your
memories in our Oral History Library Collection.

ALL ARE INVITED TO COME, LISTEN, AND SHARE FROM 7-9PM!
Refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited so please call 382-7583 and reserve your spot today!

August 22, 2008
Friday
8:00pm

TU article

Philadelphia Orchestra: The Planets Night

The sky’s the limit as Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and Dudley Observatory bring a cross-promotional night of science and the arts with telescopes, activity centers, and more. The evening’s finale will be composer Gustav Holst’s The Planets performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under conductor Charles Dutoit.  We expect more than 5000 people to attend this event, an Astronaut as a guest lecturer, and entertainment for all ages

Slide Show

Download photos

 “An Evening with the Stars” will be held at the Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) to commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of the Dudley Observatory, the oldest independent organization in the country supporting education and research in astronomy and history of astronomy. 

The celebration will include food and drink, silent auction, music, telescopes, and a display of historic artifacts dating back to the mid-19th century.  Albany Institute of History & Art will open its galleries for the evening, featuring the original painting of the inauguration of the Dudley Observatory, which depicts the celebrated politicians and businessmen of the day alongside America’s scientific and academic elite.

Directly following the gala, you are invited to participate in a re-creation of  Matteson’s painting, staged by artists Michael Oatman and Joe Putrock. This modern day depiction will capture, on film, present-day political leaders, scientists, and astronomy enthusiasts, and will be placed in the collection of the Albany Institute of History & Art.

Sponsors
 

Free with Museum admission
Directions: http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/01_info/01.htm#a
 

Dr. Heidi Newberg will speak at the March  meeting of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers.   She will talk about the renovation of the RPI observatory and her research in astronomy.  Dr. Newberg is on the Board of the Dudley Observatory.

All meetings are free and open to the public.

 

Jan 27, 2006
Details

Sept 24, 2005
Saturday
6:30 PM
Details

Rising Star Interns (new & old!), their families, and mentors are invited to a potluck picnic and star party at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar, NY.