Stellafane facts for kids

The Stellafane Observatory is a special place in Springfield, Vermont. It was started in 1920 by Russell W. Porter. The name Stellafane comes from Latin words meaning "Shrine to the Stars." It first referred to the clubhouse, but now it means all the land and buildings on Breezy Hill.

Stellafane is famous for its yearly convention. This gathering brings together people who love making telescopes and watching the stars. It is the longest-running event of its kind in the United States. The clubhouse and observatory are so important that they are listed as a National Historic Landmark. This shows how much they helped make astronomy popular.

How Stellafane Started

Russell Porter was born in Springfield in 1871. In 1919, he came back to his hometown. He started building telescopes with help from local factories. The Springfield Telescope Makers Club began from a class he taught in 1920. This class showed people how to build their own telescopes.

The Pink Clubhouse

View of the original pink Clubhouse at the Stellafane Observatory (2021).

On December 7, 1923, the club members had their first meeting. They decided to build a clubhouse on a 3.5-acre (1.4 ha) piece of land. This land belonged to Porter and was on Breezy Hill. The hill is about 1,270-foot (390 m) high.

The first clubhouse was 20-by-24-foot (6.1 by 7.3 m). An extra part was added in 1926. It had a meeting room, a kitchen, a workshop, and bunk beds upstairs. The building also had special telescopes built into it. These included a polar Cassegrain telescope and a solar telescope. There was even a sundial on the south wall.

Stellafane West: The Original Site

Besides the historic "pink clubhouse," the original site has other cool features. One is Porter's unique Turret Telescope. This 12-inch (300 mm; 30 cm) telescope was built in 1930. It has a concrete dome that spins. The telescope is on the outside, but the person watching is inside. This lets them stay warm and comfortable.

In 2017, the Simoni Spectrohelioscope Solar Observatory was built nearby. It is named after Andrew E. Simoni, who loved coming to the convention. Stellafane West is still where the club holds most of its meetings. They also have telescope-making competitions here.

Stellafane East: The Convention Hub

While the telescope competition is still at the original site, most convention activities happen at Stellafane East. This area is about 1⁄4 mile (400 m) away from the clubhouse. It was added in the 1980s.

Stellafane East has several newer buildings. The McGregor Observatory was built between 1986 and 1991. It has a 13-inch (330 mm; 33 cm) Schupmann telescope. There's also the Breuning Domed Observatory, built in the early 2000s. The Flanders Pavilion, built in 2005, is named after an early club member.

There is also an "Amphitheater" for presentations. The "Bunkhouse" has radio equipment. Over 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land at Stellafane East is used for camping. People can set up tents, campers, and RVs during the convention.

The Stellafane Convention

The Stellafane Convention happens every year on Breezy Hill. Russell Porter and the club started it in 1926. About 20 amateur telescope makers came to compare their telescopes and share ideas. Now, thousands of people from all over the world attend.

They come to show off their new ideas, join competitions, and enjoy the night sky. The convention usually takes place in early August. This is around the new moon closest to the Perseid meteor shower.

The convention has been held almost every summer since 1926. The only times it was skipped were:

• 1949–1953, after the death of founder Russell W. Porter.
• 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many famous people in astronomy have visited Stellafane. These include astronaut Alan Bean and comet hunter David H. Levy.

See also

• 3140 Stellafane, an asteroid named after Stellafane
• Amateur telescope making
• Amateur astronomy
• Star party

Images for kids

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  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

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  View of the Simoni Spectrohelioscope building at Stellafane West

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  The McGregor Observatory building at Stellafane East

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  The Stellafane logo on the cornerstone of the McGregor Observatory

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  View of the Breuning Domed Observatory at the 2021 Stellafane Convention

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  View of the Flanders Pavilion at the 2021 Stellafane Convention

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  Stellafane presentation at the hillside amphitheater in 1999