38th Astronomy Jamboree - Nov. 5, 2016

Custer Institute and Observatory's 

38th Annual Astronomy Jamboree

November 4 - 6, 2016

On November 5th the Custer Observatory held the second day of its Astronomy Jamboree at the Southold High School, Southold, NY. The evening consisted of Lectures, Vendors, Workshops, Planetarium and Raffles. Afterwards the festivities moved to the Custer Observatory for Stargazing. 

Solar Observing

Registration Table

Lecturers

Brian Koehler from the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport, CN

"A Rover's Eye View of the Surface and Climate of Mars"  Dr. Joel Hurowitz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at SUNY , Stony Brook, NY

Keynote Speaker: Sam Storch, lecturer at NY Hayden Planetarium. "Basking in the Shadow of the Moon"

Raffle Prizes

Buffet Dinner at 631 Restaurant

Aurora Borealis from Long Island, NY

Aurora Borealis seen from New York

Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai, Long Island, NY

June 23, 2015

On June 22, 2015 Space Weather Live put out a KP index of 7. In order to see an Aurora from Long Island the KP index needs to be a 7 or higher. I saw a reading as high as KP8.67 in the early morning hours of June 23, 2015. Although the Aurora was not seen visually I continued to take photos of the dark sky in hopes of capturing something of the Aurora. It is rare to capture and see an Aurora from Long Island, NY. Although the seeing was not optimal I was able to capture enough of the Aurora to confirm it from Long Island. 

Special Thanks to Elias Bonaros for  the Aurora alert and help confirming the final Aurora photos.

The following photos were taken between one and two am in the morning.

1:15am Some green above the Sky-glow of Connecticut.

1:24am - Some dark pupleish-red appears visible above the green of the Aurora

1:27am - The Aurora appears in the north under the Constellation Cassiopeia.

1:45am

1:46am

1:47am

1:48am

2:08am - The Aurora seemed to dissipate after 2 am. Green no longer seen above the Connecticut sky-glow.

Custer Observatory's Annual Astronomy Jamboree - October 18, 2014

Custer Institute and Observatory's 

36th Annual Astronomy Jamboree

October 17 - 19, 2014

The second day of the Astronomy Jamboree was held at the Suffolk County Community College - eastern campus in Riverhead, NY until 5pm. Afterwards the festivities moved to the Custer Observatory for a Dinner Buffet, Lectures and Stargazing.
 

Barbara our Treasurer

John Speroni's program on Computer Security

Steve Bellavia with his Radio Dish

Solar Observing with David Barnet

David Barnett with Solar Telescope

Justine Haupt's Radio Telescope built with some of the components created in a 3-D printer

Custer Sales Table at the Jamboree

Christine Speroni running the Chinese Auction Table

The most popular prize - A Telescope Eyepiece

Camera Concepts  Jeff Norwood

Justine Haupt's 3-D printer

 

Steve Bellavia's program on Building a Radio Dish

Sean McCorkle

The Globular Cluster - Galaxy Connection presented by Robert Zinn, PhD

Robert Zinn, PhD

Christine Speroni running the Chinese Auction

David VanPopering and Justine Haupt

From Left to Right: William Bogardus (Custer Observatory President), Dorothy Laffin (Dean SCCC) , Justine Haupt (Custer Observatory Director), Ted Koukounas (Associate Professor SCCC)

The Astronomy Jamboree Moves to the Custer Observatory for the Banquet and more Programs

Bill Funke, Steve Bellavia, Bill Bogardus

Alan Cousins and his son Mark

Fred Hess Memorial Lecture: Thousands of Potentially Habitable Planets: Hype or Hope?- by Frederick Walter, PhD