Night Sky Programs Coming Up At Historic Stonington Site

STONINGTON, CT — Historic Stonington will host a program on the night sky at the Old Lighthouse Museum on two evenings in the fall.

The program will be Sept. 10 and Oct. 8.

Guests are invited to bring a blanket and settle in on the lighthouse grounds as the sky darkens, when a guided talk will begin. No telescopes are needed.

"The evening is a chance to look up at the same sky that once guided Stonington's sailors and sea captains, and to hear the stories and science behind it," according to a press release.

The Sept. 10 program will be led by Brian Koehler, associate director of the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport Museum. The program focuses on celestial navigation, exploring how sailors once used the stars to find their way at sea.

This knowledge was essential to Stonington's own maritime figures, including Nathaniel Palmer, the sea captain and explorer whose family built the Palmer House, according to the statement.

The Oct. 8 program will be led by Leslie F. Brown, Ph.D., professor emerita of physics, astronomy and geophysics at Connecticut College, and Douglas Gobeille, teaching professor in the physics department at the University of Rhode Island.

Building on the themes of the September program, this evening will explore the mythology behind the constellations, how the night sky has changed over time, and the growing impact of light pollution on our view of the stars.

The Sept. 10 program begins at 8 p.m. The Oct. 8 program begins at 7 p.m. Both will cost $25 for non-members and $20 for members.

Space is limited, and advance registration is encouraged. Visit historicstonington.org to RSVP.