Member Reports

The Detection of a Potential Biosignature on Mars (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 16 days ago
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Have you ever wondered if there are any signs that life was on Mars? On May 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Stony Brook University geoscientist, Dr. Joel Hurowitz, who is acting principal investigator of the Perseverance team. The rover recently discovered the most compelling evidence yet of potential ancient life on Mars. Dr. Hurowitz will discuss the mission, its findings and their implications regarding the potential for habitability of Mars. Details and registration information may be found on https://HamptonsObservatory. ...
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The Science of Science Fiction (A Free, Hybrid Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 19 days ago
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On April 29 th at 7:00 PM, Dr. Frederick Walter , Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Stony Brook University, will discuss “The Science of Science Fiction,” a subject he taught at SBU for over a decade. We have all been enthralled by the imaginings of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Gene Roddenbury, Jules Verne and so many others who have foreshadowed future science. In this talk you’ll learn the reality behind their work--what might have been, what is, and what might be possible. This FREE hybrid event will be held in-person at the East Hampton ...
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The Science of Science Fiction (A Free, Hybrid Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 04-11-2026
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On April 29th at 7:00pm, ET, Dr. Frederick Walter, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Stony Brook University will discuss "The Science of Science Fiction." We have all been enthralled by the imaginings of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Gene Roddenbury, Jules Verne, and so many others who have foreshadowed future science. In this talk, you'll learn the reality behind their work--what might have been, what is, and what might be possible. This HYBRID event will be held in-person at the East Hampton Library and online via Zoom. Weather permitting, the talk will be followed by guided tours of the night sky via telescope; feel free to bring your own. ...
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The Stars of the Controversies and How they Changed our Understanding of Universe (Part III)

By Bishal Neupane posted 04-04-2026
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HD 140283: The Star Older Than the Universe HD 140283 has been known to astronomers since before the start of World War I. William S. Adams measured its spectrum in 1912. He noted its exceptionally high proper motion, its angular movement across the sky due to its velocity through space. At approximately 350 kilometers per second relative to the local standard of rest, HD 140283 is racing through the solar neighborhood on a highly elongated orbit. This orbit will eventually carry it back out into the galactic halo, the ancient, roughly spherical distribution of old stars that surrounds the Milky Way's flattened disk. Spectroscopic analysis in the 1950s ...
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The Stars of the Controversies and How they Changed our Understanding of Universe (Part II)

By Bishal Neupane posted 04-04-2026
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Betelgeuse: The Red Supergiant with a Hidden Partner Between October 2019 and April 2020, Betelgeuse underwent an unprecedented dimming event. This star, one of the brightest in the night sky and the prominent red supergiant marking Orion's shoulder, faded dramatically. The star normally varies between apparent magnitudes 0.0 and 1.3. It faded to magnitude 1.6, a factor of approximately 2.5 in brightness, over just a few months. This "Great Dimming" was visible to the naked eye. It sparked widespread speculation, including sensational media reports that the star might be on the verge of exploding as a supernova. Supernovae are rare enough that most astronomers ...
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The Stars of the Controversies and How they Changed our Understanding of Universe (Part I)

By Bishal Neupane posted 04-04-2026
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Delta Cephei: The Standard Candle That Burns Imperfectly Henrietta Leavitt spent countless hours in the early twentieth century examining photographic plates of variable stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Working at Harvard College Observatory, she noticed something remarkable. A tight mathematical relationship existed between how long these stars took to brighten and dim (their period) and how intrinsically bright they were (their luminosity). This period-luminosity relation, which she published in 1912, transformed astronomy. For the first time, scientists had a reliable method to measure distances beyond our immediate ...
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NASA's Mission: Exploring the Universe (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 03-12-2026
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The photo is of the Element Wheel Assembly, a part of the Nancy Grace Roman telescope. On March 26 2026, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Dr. Margaret Dominguez, a NASA engineer since 2008. In her talk, “NASA’s Mission: Exploring the Universe,” she will discuss the evolution of NASA’s astronomical space telescopes and the extraordinary discoveries they have made. You’ll learn how missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope have transformed our understanding ...
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Astronomers Without Borders Enters an Exciting New Chapter with Associated Universities Inc.

By Andrew Fazekas posted 03-12-2026
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Astronomers Without Borders Enters an Exciting New Chapter with Associated Universities Inc. AWB’s mission of connecting people around the world through astronomy will continue and grow as part of the nonprofit Associated Universities Inc. (AUI). New Phase For years, Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) has united people across cultures, countries, and continents through a shared sense of wonder about the night sky. Through initiatives such as Global Astronomy Month, international observing events, and the highly successful Eclipse Glasses Recycling Program, which redistributes donated eclipse glasses to communities around the world, AWB ...
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enSEÑAme astronomía, un proyecto con la comunidad sorda en México / enSEÑAme astronomia, a project with the deaf community in Mexico

By Anaely Pacheco Blanco posted 03-09-2026
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Español primero, Inglés después / Spanish first, English later: Les quiero compartir que durante este 2026 realizaremos la segunda etapa del proyecto enSEÑAme astronomía el cual trabaja con la comunidad sorda en México, en particular para las sesiones presenciales en Puebla. Con este proyecto buscamos hacer más accesibles e inclusivas las áreas STEM iniciando por la Astronomía. Durante esta segunda etapa crearemos señas nuevas en Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM) que NO existen para alrededor de 50 conceptos de Astronomía. También realizaremos videos en LSM explicando el concepto. Con esto tendremos un glosario de Astronomía en LSM que estará disponible ...
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Star Party, Sri Lanka - 2026

By B.G. Eranga Thilina Jayashantha posted 02-28-2026
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The Largest Astronomical project in Sri Lanka for High-School students. 20 th Consecutive Year - 2026 Star Party, Sri Lanka is the Largest High-School level Astronomical event in Sri Lanka and it is organized annually by Anandian Astronomical Association and Astronomical Society of Mahamaya Girls' College, Kandy which are the pioneering schools of Sri Lankan high-school based Astronomy. Every year, the event is held on a specific day at Peradeniya University premises for 15 hours overnight. Star party, Sri Lanka the event has a legendary history of 19 years which has been associated with its quality and the objectives. The event consists of ...
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How to Choose & Use Your Telescope (A Free, In-Person Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 02-16-2026
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On Friday, February 27th, at 6:00 PM, join Hamptons Observatory at the East Hampton Library for a free, in-person lecture, “How to Choose and Use Your Telescope.” If you don’t know which telescope to buy, or if you already have a telescope but don’t know how to use it, or if there’s a problem with your equipment, this program is for you! Daniel Higgins, veteran amateur astronomer, Fellow in the Royal Astronomical Society, and the founder of AstroWorld Telescopes and AstroW orldTV , will answer your questions. Dan and Hamptons Observatory astronomers will also provide hands-on help with your individual issues. Feel free to bring your ...
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Comets & Interstellar Visitors: Exploring the Dynamic Sky (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 01-04-2026
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The photo is a Hubble Space telescope image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Hubble photographed the comet on 21 July 21 2025, when the comet was 365 million kilometers from Earth. Hubble shows that the comet has a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus. Because Hubble was tracking the comet moving along a hyperbolic trajectory, the stationary background stars are streaked in the exposure. On January 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Dr. Ariel Graykowski, a research scientist from the SETI Institute, who will talk about comets, ...
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Hamptons Observatory Needs Your Help

By Donna McCormick posted 11-25-2025
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This is the season when many worthy nonprofit organizations ask for your help. We’re doing the same. The main difference is that their annual appeal goals are in the six figures, while ours is far more modest--our annual budget is still only $25K a year. But year we need donors to be extra generous. Why? We’re facing the added expense (possibly upwards of $50K) of building a new observatory structure. For years, we've been trying to get up and running with a 45+ year old, used (by two previous owners) and battered building to house our 20” research-grade telescope (good news: it still works!). Despite extensive repair efforts by a skilled team of volunteers ...
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“Comets and Interstellar Visitors: Exploring the Dynamic Sky” (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 11-22-2025
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On January 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Dr. Ariel Graykowski, a research scientist from the SETI Institute who will talk about comets, interstellar visitors such as 3I/ATLAS and its unique features, as well as how professionals and citizen scientists are collaborating in an effort to learn more about our universe. Registration is required for this free, virtual lecture: https://bit.ly/DynamicSkyTalk From icy visitors from the outer solar system to rare interstellar interlopers like 3I/ATLAS, comets are among the most dynamic ...
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Winter Stargazing: A Journey Through the Night Sky (A Free, In-Person Lecture & Star Party)

By Donna McCormick posted 11-15-2025
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Learn about the wonders of your universe and what’s up in the sky this winter! On Saturday, November 29th, at 5:00 PM, NASA Solar System Ambassador, William Francis Taylor, will present a free in-person lecture, “Winter Stargazing: A Journey Through the Night Sky.” The talk will be held at the Eastville Community Historical Society in Sag Harbor. If you only want to attend the star party (weather permitting) just drop by between 6:00 and 8:00 PM and join Hamptons Observatory’s astronomers as they provide guided tours of the night sky through telescopes—feel free to bring your own!. For further info and to register visit: https://HamptonsObservatory. ...
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Man on the Moon

By Clarence G. Underwood posted 10-11-2025
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Hi, This image was captured at 10:21 PM PDT on October 9, 2025. The image of the moon was projected from a 80 mm short tube refractor into an iPhone X camera. It was a cloudy night and the clouds were positioned in such a way that they formed the man on the moon which just happens to look like me! Look closely! I was out trying to see the Occultation of the Pleiades. I got an Occultation of the Moon by me! (Smile) Clear skies, Clarence PS, I did manipulate the image a bit, but it was just clouds and the moon that I worked with!
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Hubble's Night Sky Challenge: October 2025

By Andee Sherwood posted 10-02-2025
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Hubble's Night Sky Challenge For October (Northern and Southern hemispheres) Hubble's Night Sky Challenge is a year-round observing adventure for amateur astronomers to commemorate 35 years of Hubble science and discoveries. This challenge can also serve as a guide for star parties. Helpful Tips Some objects may be visible from most locations on Earth, while others are only visible at specific latitudes and may not be accessible for those in other parts of the world. This page has two lists of recommended targets: one for the Northern Hemisphere and another for the Southern Hemisphere. For best results, we recommend using the list that ...
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Video - What's Up: October 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA

By Andee Sherwood posted 10-01-2025
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The October sky is always filled with wonder and is a great month for stargazers around the world. I have posted the link to NASA/JPL's monthly video called, "What's Up," for your review. These monthly videos are great resources to learn more about which objects and astronomy events will be visible for astronomy beginners and professionals. Follow this link to view the this month's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-MdvqKe33c Also, International Observe The Moon Night takes place on Oct. 4th. Learn more about this event here: IOMN 2025 -Participate Will you be observing the sky this month? What is your favorite object to view in the ...
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“The First Science from the Vera Rubin Observatory” (A Free, Virtual Lecture)

By Donna McCormick posted 09-25-2025
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On October 9th, at 7:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host Suffolk County Community College will present a free, virtual lecture by Dr. Charles Liu, a professor of astrophysics at the College of Staten Island, the president of the Astronomical Society of NY, a popular podcaster and author of 11 books on astronomy and science. Dr. Liu will talk about the newest international earth-based astrophysical facility, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and how you can be involved in its mission to explore and understand some of the Universe’s biggest mysteries. Details and registration information may be found on https://HamptonsObservatory.org
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The Ultimate Guide to Observing the Moon - Celestron

By Andee Sherwood posted 09-10-2025
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Did you enjoy the recent full Moon and the lunar eclipse? Anyone howl at the Moon? Our friends at Celestron created a great guide for observing the Moon in 2021. The guide is a great resources for beginners who want to explore the view of the lunar surface and learn more about the Moon. The guide also offers tips and suggestions for eyepieces to improve viewing and more! You can view this guide online by following this link: The Ultimate Guide to Observing the Moon Please share your photos with the community and any stories about your viewing experience. Thank you! #lunar
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