9/25/2023 – NOTE: This is preliminary schedule, and planning is still underway . Scheduled Activities may change without notice. As soon as changes are made, every effort will be made to update this listing. Please check back often for your planning purposes
Friday Schedule:
Time
|
Activity
|
| 2:00 PM |
Facility open to campers for setup, bathrooms open
Viewing in yard, both solar and astronomical |
| 2:00 – 6:00 PM |
Solar Viewing hosted by Ana Castillio, in the Yard (Spectroscope, H-Alpha and white light), in the Domes (Herschel Wedge on 6” AstroPhysics Refractor) and with the Heliostat Refractor, dedicated to the memory of the “Legendary Barlow Bob” Godfrey in 2014, in the Physics Lab. |
| 6:00 PM |
Doors open to public, facility tours, and observing
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, snacks available in lobby |
| 6:30 – 6:55 PM |
Welcome to AstroFest 2023 – Drew Deskur, Executive Director Kopernik Observatory & Science Center. George’s Best Images, a Video Slide Show – most captured right here at Kopernik Observatory! – George Normandin, KAS President |
| 7:00 – 7:55 PM |
Opening of the 50-year-old Time Capsule, placed in the wall of the original exterior of the building fifty years ago when Kopernik Observatory was first built. Witness this historic unveiling. |
| 8:00 PM |
Keynote Address – Alyssa Pagan, Webb’s Image Specialist – Science Visuals Developer, Space Telescope Science Institute, Office of Public Outreach, Alyssa is part of the main team of NASSA Imagers who transform the raw black and white data from the Webb Space Telescope and transform it into the wonderful color images we admire. |
| After The Program |
Night Sky Viewing – in the Domes and in the Yard, Demo of our new ZWO SeeStar S50 telescope, Night Sky Laser Tours, “Learner’s Land” – bring your scope and set it up with help from the KAS and Kopernik staff, hot beverages, and snacks available, bathrooms and domes open all night, Lobby closes at Midnight. |
| Midnight |
Lobby Closes (Restrooms remain open all night) |
Saturday Schedule:
Time
|
Activity
|
| 7:30 to 10 AM |
Coffee, tea, hot Chocolate, juice, donuts available in Lobby |
| 9 AM- all day |
Vendors in Physics Lab, Dark Sky Exhibit and Facility Tours |
| 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Solar Viewing hosted by Ana Castillio, in the Yard (Spectroscope, H-Alpha and white light), in the Domes (Herschel Wedge on 6” Astro Physics Refractor) and with the Heliostat Refractor, dedicated to the memory of the “Legendary Barlow Bob” Godfrey in 2014, in the Physics Lab. |
| 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM |
Show and Tell Meteorites – Patrick Manley |
| 11:00 – 11:55 AM |
IOTA's Work on Occultation Timing |
| 12:00 – 12:55 PM |
The Everest Mirror – See and learn about a piece of local and national astronomical history. The honeycomb cell structure which made large mirror castings successful was designed and made by
Wally Everest, Sr. Presented by Art Cacciola, Kopernik Astronomical Society. |
| 1:00 – 2:00 PM |
Lunch
Astronomy Clubs Roundtable Discussions (to include the NYPENN Girl Scouts) Laurie will also talk about the new Space Science Badges. |
| 2:00 – 5:00 PM |
Swap Meet – buy and sell your treasurers , used equipment for sale to raise funds for new scope |
| 2:00 – 2:55 PM |
TBA |
| 3:00– 3:55 PM |
Electronic Enhanced Consumer Telescopes – learn about this fascinating new type of telescope which combines a digital chip, with a small, easy to operate, telescope. It does this all while remaining portable and working almost automatically. Image deep sky objects while your telescope locates the object and focuses. It does this while at the same time collecting data on your smartphone or tablet. It even stacks multiple images to enhance the image. Both the Dwarf and ZWO SeeStar S50 will be discussed. Presented by Keith Werkman, Kopernik Astronomical Society. Demo to follow later tonight. |
| 4:00 – 4:55 PM |
Solar Eclipse – Presented by Zoe Learner Ponterio, Manager, SPIF (Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility), Cornell University. |
| 5:00 – 6:30 PM |
Dinner Break and Musical Entertainment by Robert Siegers |
| 6:30 |
Raffle Prizes |
| 7:00 – 7:55 PM |
International Observe the Moon Night – Learn about this great event from Kopernik’s NASA Solar System Ambassador, Tish Bresee |
| 8:00 – 8:10 PM |
Welcome to AstroFest 2023 – Drew Deskur, Executive Director Kopernik Observatory & Science Center |
| 8:15 PM |
Keynote Address – Pranvera Hyseni – Public Education and Outreach. Pranvera is the founder of the largest astronomy outreach program in Eastern Europe, Astronomy Outreach of Kosovo. She discovered the Main Belt Asteroid: 2020 SS13 and has numerous international awards and recognitions, including having asteroid 45687 Pranverahyseni named after her.
|
| After the Program |
Night Sky Viewing – in the Domes and in the Yard, Imaging Demo of FLI Camera on 20” OGS RC, Night Sky Laser Tours, hot beverages and snacks available, bathrooms and domes open all night.
Sci-Fi movie in Space Science, Lobby closes Midnight. |
| Midnight |
Lobby Closes (Restrooms remain open all night) |
|
20″ Optical Guidance Systems Ritchey-Chretien F/8
14″ Celestron C14 F/11 SCT Celestron CGE Mount