SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The 2024 Stellafane Convention, the 88th convention of amateur telescope makers on Breezy Hill in Springfield, Vt., will be held Thursday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 4.
Registration is now open. Register at www.stellafane.org any time before July 29. The lowest admission prices are available to those who register before June 29.
Our keynote speaker is Tony Hull, whose talk will be “From ATM and Stellafane to Polishing the Webb Mirrors,” which he supervised.
Preceding the convention, the Hartness House Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 1. The theme of the event this year will be “Eclectic Astronomy III,” meaning the workshop will offer a broad spectrum of interesting individual talks. The slate for the day will be a heterogeneous collection of high-quality presentations, on a variety of astronomical subjects, with the usual opportunity to mingle with the speakers and other attendees at the historic Hartness House Inn. See the website for details; additional fees apply.
Other program highlights include a teen robotics program for ages 12-17; Observing Olympics for binoculars and telescopes; an amateur telescope competition, both optical and mechanical; an amateur telescope-making demonstration; and swap tables; as well as a full program of daytime speakers talking on topics of interest to amateur astronomers and telescope makers at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels.
Saturday evening half chicken and half rack of rib dinner packages are available to order with your registration. Food services will be operating Thursday evening through Sunday morning.
The pink Stellafane Clubhouse was completed in 1924; this year is its 100th birthday. It’s a big part of the Stellafane Observatory National Historic Landmark. We have some special things planned – come be part of this celebration at this year’s Stellafane Convention.