Resources

More information on books, telescopes, clubs, etc. is available in the Getting Started section.

Light Pollution

• ATMoB member Dr. Mario Motta's power point presentation (14 MB) on his efforts in Gloucester, MA. Permission is granted to borrow/copy from this document. Some material in this presentation was borrowed from slides from others such as the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), Bernie Kosicki from Acton, MA, and Susan Harder from Long Island.
• Those efforts by Mario and others resulted in a Lighting Conservation Ordinance in the City Of Gloucester.
• There is also a bill pending in the Massachusetts House "To Limit Outdoor Night Lighting, Conserve Energy, and Reduce Light Pollution" (HR 808).
• A local resource you might consider contacting is The New England Light Pollution Advisory Group.
• Or, email volunteers for assistance on light pollution issues at

Boston Area Observatories and Open Nights

• Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics - Popular astronomy lectures are conducted every third Thursday of the month at Phillips Auditorium of Harvard Observatory in Cambridge starting at 8 PM. Admission is free. Telescopic observing is available after the lecture. For more information call 617-495-7461.
• Boston University Astronomy Department - Public telescopic observing is held every clear Wednesday night. Admission is free. Since the time varies throughout the year, call 617-353-2630 on Wednesdays after 5:30 PM for up-to-date information.
• UMass/Boston's Arthur Martin Observatory in Dorchester. Public telescopic observing is conducted weekly. Admission is free. Call 617-287-6099 for more information.
• Wheaton College Observatory - Public Telescopic observing is conducted every clear Friday (call for times) when college is in session. Located at the intersection of routes 123 and 140 in Norton, the observatory is on the roof of the Science Center. Admission is free. Call 508-286-3937 for more information.
• Salem State College Collins Observatory - Regular public observing sessions every clear Wednesday night during the school year.
• Merrimack College Mendel Observatory in North Andover, MA holds public observing sessions every Wednesday.
• Clay Center for Science and Technology in Brookline, MA holds public observing during the spring and fall terms.

Boston Area Museums and Planetariums

• Boston Museum of Science - For more information and admission prices call 617-723-2500.
• EcoTarium in Worcester, MA. Planetarium shows and other activities are presented daily. For information and admission prices call 508-929-2700.
• Dunn Middle School Planetarium in Danvers, MA offers a weekly planetarium programs.
• Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, Concord, NH. For information and show times call 603-271-2842.

Other Area Clubs

• Aldrich Astronomical Society in Paxton, MA
• Amherst Area Amateur Astronomers Association, Amherst, MA
• Astronomical Society of Northern New England, Kennebunkport, ME
• Gloucester Area Astronomy Club, Gloucester, MA
• New Hampshire Astronomical Society
• North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club (MA)
• Pittsfield Astronomy Club
• South Shore Astronomical Society based in Norwell, MA
• Springfield Telescope Makers, VT. They are host to the annual Stellafane convention.
• Skyscrapers, a Rhode Island astronomy club

For a more complete regional list, try Sky & Telescope's resource list and Astronomy magazine's list

Astronomy Phone Information Hotlines

• 617-497-4168 SKYLINE, a news service of Sky and Telescope magazine, providing the latest information on sky events and other late breaking astronomical news. The three-minute recorded message is updated every Friday afternoon. Normal telephone rates apply.

Astronomy Publications

• Astronomy
• Sky & Telescope

Last updated 28-Nov-06 BEV