Calendar of
Events

Is the Sky Clear
at the APO?

Astronomy Software

The WILD
Center

Tupper Lake

Chamber of
Commerce

Donor
Organizations

• July 28, 2010: The APO hosted astrophotographer PK Chen at the Wild Center. PK signed copies of his book, "A Constellation Album: Stars and Mythology of the Night Sky", shared many of his amazing photographs and told stories about the photos he's taken from various, exotic locations around the world. More photos and details can be found on this page.



PK Chen signs autographs for young fans

PK answers questions from the audience

• July, 2010: On July 4^th, the APO once again participated in the Kiwanis of Tupper Lake's "Celebrate Youth Day". Tim Moeller and Gordie Duval set up telescopes and showed kids and adults how to safely observe the Sun. There was also a contest to "Guess the distance to the farthest planet", and the winners received a field guide to the constellations



Tim Moeller at the APO tent	The solar telescope
Detail of the Coronado solar telescope	Guess the distance to the planets

• May 27, 2010: Take a look at some 3-D renderings of our proposed observatory design, courtesy of Stanly E. Black AIA, Boston, Massachusetts. More images can be found on this page.



Front view with building labeled	The observing area at night

• May 7, 2010: Gib Brown kicked off the spring series of lectures at the WILD Center with his talk What the Weather Wuz When We Wuz We'uns!

• December 17, 2009: Everyone at the APO wishes you happy holidays!

• November 17, 2009: Did you see this year's Leonid meteor shower? APO President Marc Staves gave some handy observing tips in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

• November 9, 2009: The Adirondack Public Observatory's educational outreach has made it into the regional school districts. Teachers from Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, St. Regis Falls, Malone and Salmon River attended the Regional Staff Development Day in October. Sponsored by the APO, the title of the full day workshop was: "Visual Aids to Enhance Teaching Astronomy in the Classroom". More details and photos can be found on this page.



Gordie Duval with some of the demonstrations materials	Material for teachers
Teachers try out Celestia	What's in the sky tonight?

• October 25, 2009: John Varden of Able Abe Diversified Services donated his time to help create a well-defined access road, and clear some trees around the site where the roll-off roof building will be constructed. More photos can be found on this page.



John Varden clears the access road	The road is shaping up nicely!
Thanks, John!

• October 18, 2009: Members and friends of the APO gathered to begin the process of preparing the access road that the Adirondack Park Agency will need to begin site testing. The group toured the site, and APO President Marc Staves ceremoniously felled the first tree. More photos can be found on this page.



Some of the APO board members and volunteers (L-R): Marc Staves, Gordie Duval, Carol Levy, Jeffrey Miller, Marti Mozdzier, Mark Moeller, Rick Wilburn, Keith Wells, Kim Landry	APO President Marc Staves points out areas of interest on the site
Video: Two for the price of one! Click the image to play the video (Quicktime required)
Marc makes short work of the felled tree	"Let's get this observatory rolling!"

• October 16, 2009: On September 25th, 2009, a bright fireball with a green tail and red head was observed by several members of the APO from two different locations in New York. This fireball was also recorded by seven all-sky cameras of the Unversity of Western Ontario's Southern Meteor Network. More details about the group's fireball observations can be found on this page.

• September 4, 2009: Aileen O'Donoghue and Gordie Duval held another star party for about 40 guests and employees of the The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, NY. Aileen gave a talk about Jupiter, Galileo and the Vatican Observatory. Clear skies provided great viewing of a nearly-full Moon, Jupiter, the Andromeda Galaxy, and Albireo (β Cygni), a beautiful double-star in the constellation Cygnus.


Aileen O'Donoghue with a young observer
of Jupiter and its moons

• August 7, 2009: Marc Staves, Gordie Duval and Tim Moeller gave a presentation and held a star party for guests at the The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, NY. Clear skies held the audience in awe! More photos can be found on this page.



Marc Staves explains how a Newtonian reflector works	Tim Moeller watches as a young observer takes her first look through a telescope
Marc assists another young observer	Checking out M13 in Hercules
Another observer takes a look	Looking low on the horizon as Jupiter rises

• July 23, 2009: The APO hosted famed comet hunter David Levy, who held a book signing and gave a lecture in the Flammer Theater at The Wild Center, Tupper Lake. Levy's talk was entitled "A Nightwatchman's Journey: My Life and Hard Times as a Comet Searcher". He talked about how he became interested in astronomy in his youth, the discovery of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (which collided with Jupiter in 1994), and related many anecdotes about his life-long quest for comets. More photos from the event can be found on this page.



David Levy spoke to a packed house	Listening to an audience member's question
Explaining how Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke up	David Levy & APO Board Member Carol Levy

• July, 2009: On July 5^th, the APO once again participated in the Kiwanis of Tupper Lake's "Celebrate Youth Day". Tim Moeller and Gordie Duval set up telescopes and showed kids and adults how to safely observe the Sun. A scale solar system model was also set up for everyone's enjoyment.



Nick Moeller setting up Neptune on the solar system model – 100 yards from the Sun!	Tim Moeller (left) shows a young observer the Sun

• June 23, 2009: St. Lawrence University Associate Professor of Physics (and APO Board member) Aileen O'Donoghue observed at the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) on Mt. Graham, Arizona, in March. An article about the observing session, and the Catholic Church's views on astronomy and the heavens appeared in the New York Times (pdf).



Aileen driving the VATT	Aileen and the VATT telescope

• May 11, 2009: The APO will host famed comet hunter David Levy at the Wild Center on Thursday, July 23^rd, 2009, at 6:00 pm. Levy will present a lecture and will hold a book signing. Please note that seating is limited. See the event poster for more information.

• May, 2009: Last month, the APO was represented with a booth at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF). Board member Carol Levy, APO administrator Marti Mozdzier and her husband Bill, and APO advisor Steve Durham all made the 5 hour drive to Suffern, New York. There was a great deal of interest in our project from both vendors and visitors alike. Many new names were added to our mailing list. Many new friends were made and old friendships rekindled. Special thanks to NEAF Chairman Alan Traino and the Rockland Astronomy Club for another great show. More photos from NEAF can be found on this page.



NEAF Chairman Alan Traino and APO Board Member Carol Levy	Carol and P.K. Chen, author of A Constellation Album

• April 18, 2009: APO members held a backyard session at the Junction Observatory for a group of Tupper Lake Junior Girl Scouts, led by Laura Reid, a teacher from L.P. Quinn Elementary school. The scouts were working on their astronomy badges and were required to perform 6 tasks, including locating and viewing a planet (Saturn), finding the North Star, identifying 5 constellations, and learning about astronomy equipment. There were about a dozen students from grades 3, 4 and 5 that attended. The group started with a look at the equipment and computer simulations around 7:00 pm and ended around 9:30 pm with a pretty clear sky and some good views of Saturn and several Messier objects (M81 & 82, M3 and M42). Some of the parents also joined us including Superintendent of schools, Seth McGowan. Click each image below for a larger view



Tim Moeller keeps watch, as Marc Staves and Superintendent McGowan take a hot cocoa break
Mr. McGowan looks for Saturn in the sky	Tim helps the scouts view Saturn in the telescope

• April, 2009: APO President Marc Staves was quoted in the Adirondack Almanack about the importance of keeping the Adirondack skies dark.

• July, 2008: On July 4^th, the APO participated in the Kiwanis of Tupper Lake's "Celebrate Youth Day" by setting up telescopes for solar observing, and a scale model of the solar system. More photos from the event can be found on this page.



Solar observing at Celebrate Youth Day, Tupper Lake Click each image for a larger view

• January, 2008: Happy New Year! On December 27^th, 2007, Jan Wojcik gave a presentation entitled "A Star of Bethlehem in Year Zero?" at the Wild Center. Following the talk, the Everest Telescope was formally dedicated. The Everest "Old Town Pump" Telescope was built in the 1920's by famed amateur telescope maker A.W. (Wally) Everest, and was dedicated by his son, Wallie Everest II, who talked about the history of the telescope, and how it came to Tupper Lake.



The Everest "Old Town Pump" Telescope is dedictated by Wallie Everest
Wally Everest examining his 21½" mirror, late 1930's. This is 1 of 6 mirrors cast along with the final 200" Mt. Palomar mirror. Most were used as test pieces by Corning Glass. No others are known to be in existence. The mirror was ground to f/4.5 and is at the final polishing stage. It is planned for educational display at the facilities of the APO Click each image for a larger view

• November, 2007: With the approval of the Town of Tupper Lake, the APO has purchased the plot of land adjacent to our existing site. This brings the total area for the observatory grounds to about 4 acres. A topographic map of the observatory site appears at right (click image for a larger view).

• November, 2007: Tupper Lake hosted the 2^nd Annual NorthWoods Challenge, a community-wide 5K run/walk, on October 14, 2007. About $4000 was raised from this community event, and donated to the Observatory. The APO Board thanks all those who participated and contributed to our organization.

• October 24, 2007: Comet 17/P Holmes brightened from a 16th magnitude object ot one easily visible to the unaided eye. Here are some photos taken by APO board members and friends. Enjoy!

• August, 2007: Tupper Lake will host the 2^nd Annual NorthWoods Challenge, a community-wide 5K run/walk (1K for kids), on October 14, 2007. Last year, the NorthWoods Challenge had 130 participants who raised approximately $8,000, which was donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year the APO has been chosen to benefit from the event, making the NorthWoods Challenge a community event which gives back to the community.

• March 26, 2007: Board member Aileen O'Donoghue has written an article for the March/April 2007 edition of Adirondack Explorer about the importance of protecting the dark skies of the Adirondack Mountains and the APO's mission to keep them dark.

• March, 2007: Receive a 25% Tax Credit for Your Donation to the Adirondack Public Observatory Building Fund!

  As of January 31, 2007 the Adirondack Public Observatory Building Fund is an approved community development project of the Franklin County Empire Zone. This means that the Adirondack Public Observatory (APO) can offer a tax credit on New York State personal or corporate income taxes worth 25% of your donation (monetary contributions only) to the observatory building fund if made on or after January 31, 2007. For example, if you contribute $1,000 to the fund, you could receive a tax credit worth $250 on your New York State taxes. Please note that each taxpayer has a lifetime limit of $100,000 in total Zone Capital Credits for community development projects.

  In addition to the Zone Capital Credits, your donation may also be eligible for federal and State charitable deductions. Please consider whether the availability of these Zone Capital Credits will allow you to make a larger contribution to the observatory building fund and contact Tim Moeller at (518) 359-8471 to verify that your donation is eligible. If so, all you need to do is fill out Form Z7 and return it along with your contribution.

• January, 2007: Board member Carol Levy spent a chilly day at Mt. Palomar Observatory

Carol Levy visits Mt. Palomar
Click image for a larger view

• November 25, 2006: Board members Aileen O'Donoghue and Jeffrey Miller proudly displayed their APO colors during a four-night observing run at the Arecibo Radio Telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Astronomers Jeffrey Miller & Aileen O'Donghue visit Arecibo
Click image for a larger view

• November 10, 2006: APO Board members Jan Wojcik and Jeffrey Miller gave a series of public talks at the Wild Center. A rave review appeared in the Tupper Lake Free Press.

Jan & Jeff are introduced Click image for a larger view

Jeff wow's the crowd with his sparkling personality! Click image for a larger view

• August 26, 2006: APO President Marc Staves was quoted in an article entitled "Look to the Stars" in the PressRepublican.com. Marc extolled the virtues of binocular observing under dark skies.

• August 24, 2006: The APO held a fund raising raffle. The first prize, a birch framed Adirondack print entitled "Shooting Star" by Gary Casagrain, was won by a local youth.

APO President Marc Staves with the First Prize winner
Click image for a larger view

• July 8, 2006: APO Board members Jan Wojcik, Aileen O'Donoghue and Jeffrey Miller set up two telescopes and an information booth at the "2006 Potsdam Summer Festival". Participants were afforded views of sunspots in visible light and and solar flares and prominences in the red light of hydrogen (Hα).

Jan Wojcik shows solar flares to a young observer Click image for a larger view

Jeffrey Miller shows off sunspots Click image for a larger view

• July 4, 2006: The APO was invited to participate in the grand opening of The WILD Center, The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks located in Tupper Lake. Telescopes were set up to view the sun, and astronomy questions were answered.

Tim Moeller & Marc Staves show off the Sun Click image for a larger view	Tim Moeller describes his telescope Click image for a larger view
More photos from the WILD Center opening!

• June 19, 2006: The APO is holding a fund raising raffle. Details can be found on this page.

• January 31, 2006: The Associated Press interview with APO board members Marc Staves and Jan Wojcik entitled "Adirondacks a skygazer's paradise" has appeared on many news websites, including CNN and CBS News (you can Google more copies of this interview).

• November 8, 2005: Listen to the interview (5 minutes – mp3 audio) of APO board members Aileen O'Donoghue and Jan Wojcik on North Country Public Radio. More of Aileen's astronomical musings can be heard on NCPR's Astronomy News page.

• November 5, 2005: An Associated Press interview with APO board members Marc Staves and Jan Wojcik appeared in a Newsday Magazine article entitled "Adirondacks seen as dark skygazer paradise".

• July 23, 2005: The APO set up an information table at the "Celebrate Tupper Lake Street Fair". Fund-raising raffle tickets were sold, and visitors were able to view the Sun. Piercefield, NY resident E. Dingman won a one year subscription to Astronomy Magazine.

(L-R) Gib Brown, Steve Durham, Carol Levy
Click image for a larger view

• June 2, 2005 (as reported in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise by Geoff Hayward): The Tupper Lake Town Board passed a resolution Thursday which will allow the Adirondack Public Observatory to purchase 1.5 acres of land at the intersection of North Little Wolf and Big Wolf roads.

  The 1.5-acre plot sits on top of a 5.8-acre parcel, according to Marc Staves, president of the observatory, and will cost the not-for-profit organization $15,000.

  "We have been waiting for this for quite some time," Staves said.

  Other properties that were under consideration for purchase include a site near the soon-to-be-completed Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks and a parcel in the industrial park, near Pitchfork Pond, according to Staves. Among other things, the organization had to look into the availability of high-speed Internet access at each site and how much infrastructure, such as electricity and sewer, would have to be constructed.

  Recently, observatory representatives have been giving presentations around the North Country, including one to the Astronomical Society of New York. A separate presentation, on the topic of good lighting versus bad lighting, was recently held for the Adirondack Research Consortium.

  "And, as always, we are always looking for donations, from $10 to $10,000," Staves said. He could not give a tentative opening date for the observatory, as that depends largely on fund-raising. He said the organization has raised $30,000 of the estimated $500,000 it will need in total. Included in that $30,000 is $10,000 given by a donor who wished to remain anonymous, according to Staves.

• April 15 , 2005: The stars were out Friday night when a group of Tupper Lake Girl Scouts went star gazing with members of the Adirondack Public Observatory. Marc Staves, Gordie Duval and Steve Durham afforded local Girl Scouts of all ages the opportunity to view Saturn and Jupiter along with many different stars and constellations. They provided all of the telescopes including the one pictured in the background with the girls, a home made 10" Dobsonian Telescope that Steve Durham handcrafted, along with many interesting facts about astronomy.

Click image for a larger view

• March 29, 2005: Saranac Lake resident John Singel generously donated an 8" Celestron telescope to the Adirondack Public Observatory. The Organization will loan the telescope to the newly formed Tupper Lake High School astronomy club for use as a first scope in their fledgling program. This summer plans for the instrument include public programs at Little Wolf beach in Tupper with others in Long Lake and Raquette Lake.

(L-R) Mr. John Singel, Tupper Lake High students Matt Sanford
& Samantha Pickering, APO President Marc Staves
Click image for a larger view

• March 23, 2005: The new APO website goes live!

• June 8th, 2004: The APO holds a public session to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun. Over 50 people were able to view the transit and will forever be able to say..."I saw it".

(L-R) Marge Durham, Carol Levy, Tim Moeller
Click image for a larger view

• July 24th, 2004: The Observatory holds a public star party at Little Wolf Beach. Al Nagler of TELEVUE Optics (a premier maker of eyepieces and telescopes) spends the evening with us and helps entertain the crowds. Power Point presentations were given on the beach.

(L-R) M. Staves, J. Wocjik, S. Durham,
A. Nagler, Al (LL), G. Duval, T. Moeller & sons
Click image for a larger view

• June 28th, 2004: The Adirondack Public Observatory holds a press conference at the Natural History Museum project center announcing the start of its fund raising campaign.

• May 6th, 2004: The Adirondack Public Observatory officials also meet with Architectural & Design Associates, P.C. to discuss design renderings.

• May 6th, 2004: Town of Altamont officials pass a resolution to enter a long term lease with the Adirondack public observatory Inc. for a 1 acre parcel located at Little Wolf Campground.

• April 28th, 2004: Internal Revenue Service grants the corporation Not For Profit Status.

• December 2003: 501(c)(3) paper work is submitted to the Internal Revenue Service.

• November 2003: The Adirondack Public Observatory is Incorporated in the State of N.Y.