The Stellafane Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Springfield, Vermont, founded in 1920 by Russell W. Porter. The Pink Clubhouse was built in 1923 at the site by the Springfield Telescope Makers Club. The name Stellafane, suggested by Porter at the club's December 1923 meeting, is derived from the Latin words stella and fanum meaning "Shrine to the Stars",[1] and originally referred specifically to the clubhouse, but has since come to refer to all of the club's land and buildings on the summit of Breezy Hill, west of downtown Springfield.
The Stellafane Convention, a gathering of amateur telescope makers and amateur astronomers is the longest running astronomical convention in the United States,[2] having been held nearly every year at the location since 1926. The clubhouse and observatory became listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and became a National Historic Landmark in 1989, in recognition of the club's pioneering role in the popularization of astronomy and the amateur construction of telescopes.[3][4]
History
Russell Porter was born in Springfield in 1871, and in 1919, upon returning to the town, began constructing telescopes with the assistance of employees and equipment from the factories in Springfield. The Springfield Telescope Makers Club grew out of an instructional class on how to make telescopes that was started by Porter the following year, on 12 August 1920.
Clubhouse
View of the original pink Clubhouse at the Stellafane Observatory (2021).
On 7December 1923(99 years ago)(1923-12-07), the members of this small group held their first meeting, deciding to build a clubhouse[5][6] on a 3.5-acre (1.4ha) plot belonging to Porter on the 1,270-foot (390m) summit of Breezy Hill outside of town.[7]
The original 20-by-24-foot (6.1 by 7.3m) clubhouse, with an 11-by-13-foot (3.4 by 4.0m) ell added in 1926, included a meeting room, a kitchen, a workshop, and bunk rooms on the second floor. The building incorporated a polar Cassegrain telescope, a transit telescope (no longer functional), a solar telescope, and a sundial on the south wall.[citation needed]
Besides the historic Stellafane "pink clubhouse", the original site includes Porter's uniquely designed Turret Telescope, a 12-inch (300mm; 30cm) f/17 Newtonian reflector built in 1930, consisting of an equatorially rotated concrete dome with the telescope mounted on the outside, with the observer on the inside working in heated comfort.[citation needed]
In 2017, the Simoni Spectrohelioscope Solar Observatory was constructed near the Turret Telescope, named after long-time convention attendee Andrew E. Simoni (1918-2013).[citation needed]
Stellafane West is still the location where the Springfield Telescope Makers hold most of their meetings and telescope competitions.[citation needed]
Stellafane East
Although the amateur telescope competition and display is still held on the original site around the clubhouse, most of the convention activities since the 1980s have taken place at Stellafane East, an annex to the original land about 1⁄4 mile (400m) away.[8]
Stellafane East includes the more recent McGregor Observatory, built between 1986-1991, which boasts a 13-inch (330mm; 33cm)Schupmann telescope, the Breuning Domed Observatory built in the early 2000s, the Flanders Pavilion, built in 2005 and named after founding club member Ernest Flanders, the "Amphitheater" hillside presentation area, the "Bunkhouse", which contains radio communications equipment, and several other buildings on the eastern site.[8]
Over 10 acres (4.0ha) of land at Stellafane East are reserved as a camping area, with plots for tents, campers, and RVs to reside during the multi-day convention and other gatherings.[citation needed]
Stellafane Convention
The Stellafane Convention is held every year on the club's land and buildings on the summit of Breezy Hill.[9] It was started by Porter and the Springfield Telescope Makers in 1926, as an occasion for some 20 amateur telescope makers to compare telescopes and exchange ideas. It has since become Thousands of amateur telescope makers from all over the world gather to share their innovations, join in competitions, and enjoy the night sky. The convention is generally held over the weekend of the new moon closest to the height of the Perseid meteor shower, usually in early August.[citation needed]
The convention has been held nearly every summer since 1926, with the exceptions of:
1949–1953, following the death of founder Russell W. Porter
A large trailer mounted newtonian reflector on display during the 1983 Stellafane Convention with the pink Clubhouse and the Porter Turret Telescope in the background
View of the Simoni Spectrohelioscope building at Stellafane West
The McGregor Observatory building at Stellafane East
The Stellafane logo on the cornerstone of the McGregor Observatory
View of the Breuning Domed Observatory at the 2021 Stellafane Convention
View of the Flanders Pavilion at the 2021 Stellafane Convention
Stellafane presentation at the hillside amphitheater in 1999
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers make contributions in doing citizen science, such as by monitoring variable stars, double stars, sunspots, or occultations of stars by the Moon or asteroids, or by discovering transient astronomical events, such as comets, galactic novae or supernovae in other galaxies.
Amateur telescope making is the activity of building telescopes as a hobby, as opposed to being a paid professional. Amateur telescope makers build their instruments for personal enjoyment of a technical challenge, as a way to obtain an inexpensive or personally customized telescope, or as a research tool in the field of astronomy. Amateur telescope makers are usually a sub-group in the field of amateur astronomy.
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Russell Williams Porter was an American artist, engineer, amateur astronomer and Arctic explorer. He was a pioneer in the field of “cutaway illustration" and is sometimes referred to as the "founder" or one of the "founders" of amateur telescope making."
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John M. Pierce was an American teacher and amateur astronomer.
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Sheep Hill Observatory is an Astronomical observatory located in Morris County, New Jersey. It features an 18-inch (457mm) Newtonian reflecting telescope and is open to the public on the 3rd Friday evening of each month, weather permitting. It is also made available to Schools, Scouting Groups and other educational groups upon request.
The Land's End Historic District encompasses a well-preserved enclave of summer residences built in the early 20th century in the Port Clyde area of St. George, Maine. Developed between 1907 and 1919 by Russell W. Porter, it includes an architecturally eclectic mix of modestly scaled cottages. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
The Hampstead Scientific Society (HSS) in north London was founded in July 1899 as the Hampstead Astronomical and General Scientific Society by P.E. Vizard. It aims to be inclusive, promoting and nurturing an interest in all branches of science, while catering for wide levels of knowledge, from layman to expert alike. The society maintains specialist astronomy and meteorology sections and runs a programme of lectures on various scientific topics in the Hampstead area of North West London.
The Porter Garden Telescope was an innovative ornamental telescope for the garden designed by Russell W. Porter and commercialized by Jones & Lamson Machine Company at the beginning of the 1920s in the United States.
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