October 7, 2025 Blinded by Science - Registration

Jeffrey Miller—ASC&O Board Member, St. Lawrence University

Radio astronomers have long had to deal with human-created sources of interference when scanning the heavens: radio transmissions, microwave ovens, Wi-Fi routers, cell phones. As technology advances it creates more problems for astronomers trying to understand the nature of the Universe. Satellites in orbit around the Earth have frequently caused streaks on photographs taken through large visible-light telescopes, but with the increase of large “satellite constellations” we are now also seeing interference at radio wavelengths. St. Lawrence University astronomer Jeffrey Miller will talk about some of these sources of radio telescope interference, and the measures that astronomers are undertaking to protect the darkness of the night.

October 20, 2025 The Large Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Vera Rubin Observatory - Registration

Aileen O'Donoghue—ASC&O Board Member, St. Lawrence University

On the 8,800 foot peak of Cerro Pachón in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun it’s ten-year mission to observe the southern sky.  The unique, specially designed 3,000 megapixel camera sensor array will conduct a wide-field survey of the universe that will be deeper and wider than all previous surveys combined.  Unlike other telescopes, Rubin’s telescope will not target specific objects, but will survey the sky in a predetermined cadence of observations at different sky positions in a varying pattern of order, duration, and filters.  In this way, it will obtain images applicable to different scientific questions from finding slow-moving asteroids near Earth to characterizing distant galaxies and quasars forming near the beginning of time.  The repetition of observations over ten years will allow astronomers to spot changes in appearance and behavior of objects too slow to be detected by traditional observatories.

November 4, 2025 Cosmic Waves - Registration

Simon Thill—ASC&O Associate Director of Astronomy Outreach 

Gravitational waves are the next frontier in astronomy. They are radiation emitted from some of the most extreme events in the universe: the merging of massive stars. After the first direct detection only a decade ago, hundreds have since been detected and we now know they fill the space all around us. 

Gravitational wave astronomy is a rapidly growing field and many exciting discoveries are being made. In this talk, Simon Thill will discuss how gravitational waves can be used to study the early universe, the large-scale distribution of matter, and fundamental physics. Discover how these signals open a brand-new window into some of humanity’s biggest cosmic questions. 

December 2, 2025 Getting Started in NightScape Photography - Registration

Bruce Berger—Amateur Astronomer

Have you ever seen spectacular photos of the night sky reflected in a rural lake? Or the moon rising or setting behind an iconic building or statue. Or the colorful Aurora Borealis dancing around a lighthouse? If you’ve tried taking photos like these, you may have walked away frustrated. But this doesn’t have to be!

In this talk, avid NightScape photographer Bruce Berger will teach you how to use your Digital SLR or Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras, a sturdy tripod, and remote shutter to create stunning images of the cosmos combined with terrestrial features like buildings, landscapes and water. Learn the best techniques to get you started on your NightScape Photography journey.