Schedule of Activities for AstroBlast 2024

ASTROBLAST 2024 will take place Tuesday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 6. Pre-registration is now closed, but you may register at the site.

UPDATE - The NEW Celestron Origin Telescope will be available onsite for live evening demonstrations! Celestron Origin is an intelligent, all-in-one home observatory that captures stunning views of faint, deep-sky celestial objects and delivers them to your phone or tablet. The images you capture in seconds look better than what you’d see in the eyepiece of a much larger telescope under much darker skies. A BIG THANK YOU to Celestron!

ASTROBLAST 30th Anniversary Agenda (subject to modification)

What’s a Shareathon? There is no need to sign up in advance for a shareathon, just show up and join in the conversation. These 50-min sessions are excellent opportunities to share your knowledge with others and learn from others. You can share your ideas if you want, or you can simply attend and learn from others. If you want to present something, please limit yourself to 5 minutes until everyone attending the shareathon session who wants to share has done so. If time remains after others have presented, then you can share additional items. Shareathons often spur further one-on-one conversations after the session ends.

What's an Astronomy Flea Market? This is an opportunity for you to sell the equipment (examples: telescopes, eyepieces, mounts, binoculars, etc.) and other resources you no longer use. For the buyer, this is a great opportunity to get a good deal on something you've been looking for, or perhaps something you didn't realize you needed until you saw it!

Observing Contests including Messier Marathon, 41 Declination, and Sketching will take place throughout the event. Observing log-sheets will be distributed from the Registration Tent at the Jones Building when open. Submit completed sheets at the Registration Tent by Noon Saturday. Winners will be announced prior to the Raffle/Doorprize drawing.

Limited Electricity in the Field - Please note that there are a limited number of power pedestals in the field surrounding the observatory. It is insufficient to power things like air conditioners and heaters for campers. The power pedestals are available on a "first come-first serve" basis. We do have sufficient outlets at the site for recharging batteries, etc.

Tuesday, October 1

3:00 PM - ASTROBLAST Begins
3:00 - 6:00 PM Registration Open
8:00 PM - ? - Dark Sky Observing - Unless cloudy, No white lights allowed on the observing field after dusk.
Those who are not staying overnight must move their vehicles to the lower parking area by the Jones Building.
REMINDER: Observing Competitions: Messier Marathon, 41 Declination, and Sketching

Wednesday, October 2

Daytime - ASTROBLAST Networking Opportunities
3:00 - 6:00 PM Registration Open
6:00 - 7:00 PM - Share-a-thon - Astrophotography Tools, Techniques and Tips (Round-table Discussion): This session will focus on anything from deep sky photography, to nightscape photography, to imaging the Moon and sun. Join this session to share and learn about the best equipment for use in different scenarios, image processing resources and techniques, cost-cutting tips and much more.
8:00 PM - ? - Dark Sky Observing - Unless cloudy, No white lights allowed on the observing field after dusk.
Those who are not staying overnight must move their vehicles to the lower parking area by the Jones Building.
REMINDER: Observing Competitions: Messier Marathon, 41 Declination, and Sketching

Thursday, October 3

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Starry Nights: Developing space photos with Photoshop Workshop (Dean Salisbury, 4-hour Workshop): Space photos can come from digital cameras with telephoto lenses or dedicated astrophotography cameras attached directly to telescopes. Both capture vast amounts of data. Photoshop is a powerful tool that is used by scientists, educators, artists and amateur astronomers to process that data to enhance, clarify and beautify space photos.This workshop accommodates participants with varying levels of astrophotography experience. Initial focus will be on image capture techniques including determining proper exposure, using the histogram, image stacking and composition. Focus will then shift to image processing in Photoshop. Upon completion, attendees should be able to create compelling space visuals that will inspire, educate and motivate.
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch
1:00 - 3:00 PM - Starry Nights: Developing space photos with Photoshop Workshop (continued)
3:00 - 6:00 PM - Registration Open
6:00 - 6:30 PM - How to Sketch Deep Sky Objects (Larry McHenry)
8:00 PM - ? - Dark Sky Observing - Unless cloudy, No white lights allowed on the observing field after dusk.
Those who are not staying overnight must move their vehicles to the lower parking area by the Jones Building.
NEW Celestron Origin Telescope demonstration for ASTROBLAST attendees.
REMINDER: Observing Competitions: Messier Marathon, 41 Declination, and Sketching

Friday, October 4

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - PixInsight Image Processing Workshop (Gary Salisbury, 4-hour Workshop): PixInsight offers unparalleled flexibility for astrophotography image processing. Although it can be intimidating, once you master the basics, take advantage of its imbedded batch processing and leverage its modular approach to customize your workflow and create your own processes, you can comfortably create beautiful deep sky images. The presentation will focus on using PixInsight to establish your image processing workflow and sharing tips to improve the quality of your final image. Once attendees complete the workshop, they should be able to create processed images from a variety of imaging cameras, including one-shot color and mono-color cameras (using LRGB and Narrow-Band filter imaging). The workshop is intended for beginning astro-imagers desiring to create beautiful images, semi/advanced imaging astro photographers desiring to improve the quality of their deep sky images, or imagers doing research in the visual spectrum.
12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch
1:00 - 3:00 PM - PixInsight Image Processing Workshop (continued)
3:00 - 7:30 PM - Registration Open
3:00 - 3:15 PM - ASTROBLAST Welcome and Logistics (Tim Spuck)
3:15 - 4:00 PM - Our Changing Planet: Impacts on Astronomy and our Connections to the Sky (Tiffany Stone Wolbrecht)
4:00 - 5:00 PM - Share-a-thon – Visual Observing Tools, Techniques and Tips (Round-table Discussion): Come share and learn about best practices in observing methods, which eyepiece(s) or filter(s) will give you the best results, how to navigate the sky when looking for those faint objects, and much more.
5:30 - 6:15 PM - Professional-Amateur Astronomer Research Collaborations: How you can engage – (Tim Spuck)
6:30 - 7:00 PM - Three Stars: Regor, Dnoces and Navi (Dean Miskovich)
7:00 - 7:30 PM - Tour of the Observatory & Telescopes (Dan Holler & Dean Miskovich)
7:30 - 7:45 PM - Green Laser Constellation Tour of the Night Sky (Larry McHenry)
8:00 PM - ? - Dark Sky Observing - Unless cloudy, No white lights allowed on the observing field after dusk.
Those who are not staying overnight must move their vehicles to the lower parking area by the Jones Building.
NEW Celestron Origin Telescope demonstration for ASTROBLAST attendees.
REMINDER: Observing Competitions: Messier Marathon, 41 Declination, and Sketching

Saturday, October 5

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM - Registration Open
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Nature Walk (weather permitting)
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Astronomy Flea Market - bring those items you are interested in selling and earn some extra $$. (We will provide some limited space, but you are strongly encouraged to bring your own table to show off your goods.)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Share-a-thon – Astro Web Resources for a Better Astronomy Experience (Round-table Discussion) - There are so many astronomy resources (websites, apps, software, etc.) out there on the internet, but which ones are the best and most useful? This is a great opportunity to help others by sharing your favorite resources, and to hear about what your colleagues are using to improve their own astronomy experiences.
12:30 PM - 1:25 PM - “UAP & Information Science: Organizing the X-Files for Evidenced-based Research” (Dr. Gretchen Stahlman)
1:30 PM - 2:25 PM - Stonehenge at the Winter Solstice 2023 (Ed Ting)
2:30 - 3:25 PM - The New Universe (Dr. Derrick Pitts)
3:30 - 4:25 PM - Share-a-thon – Getting Started in Astronomy (Round-table Discussion) - We all started somewhere. What was it that got you interested and excited about observing the night sky and continuing your journey in amateur astronomy? What are best practices today when it comes to getting others to take up the hobby, join a club, and/or connect to the wonders of the universe? What is the best equipment and experiences for beginners? Join this shareathon to explore these and other questions.
4:30 PM - 5:25 PM - Nightscape & Wide Angle Astrophotography - (Matt Dieterich)
5:30 PM - ASTROBLAST GROUP Photo
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM Pizza Party, Door Prize Drawing, Observing Contest Winners Announced
7:00 - 7:30 PM - Tour of the Observatory & Telescopes (Dan Holler & Dean Miskovich)
7:30 - 7:45 PM - Green Laser Constellation Tour of the Night Sky (Larry McHenry)
8:00 PM - ? - Dark Sky Observing - Unless cloudy, No white lights allowed on the observing field after dusk.
Those who are not staying overnight must move their vehicles to the lower parking area by the Jones Building.
NEW Celestron Origin Telescope demonstration for ASTROBLAST attendees.

Sunday, October 6

12:00 PM - ASTROBLAST 2024 Officially Ends

We have an excellent slate of in-person speakers lined up for ASTROBLAST 2024! Check out their bios below!

Matt Dieterich is an avid astrophotographer and Program Manager for Sea West Observatories. Their design-build firm specializes in constructing and maintaining observatories for both private and institutional clients. Using telescopes to capture images of the night sky was his entry into astrophotography back in 2007 from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. Over the years, Matt's work has been published by outlets such as National Geographic, PBS, CBS, and the Smithsonian Institution. With the goal of inspiring others to stargaze, Matt continues sharing his passion for astrophotography during workshops and on his social media channels.

Dr. Derrick Pitts has been associated with The Franklin Institute since 1978, designing and presenting many of the museum’s public programs and exhibits. A NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, he also served as NASA’s first ‘Astrobiology Ambassador’ and at the invitation of Space Shuttle astronauts, has flown items of his own creation on five different flights. Pitts appears regularly as a science content expert for most national and international media outlets including PBS NOVA, BBC, Discovery Channel, Science Channel, History Channel, and Curiosity Stream. He’s also been the “Astro Guy” for two NPR radio stations in Philadelphia for nearly 40 years. He’s created outreach content for major observatories around the world and has NASA-funded astronomy education programs operating through science museums and community centers from Alaska to Louisiana to Maine, connecting thousands of families to NASA’s vast array of online resources. In 1999, he was the lead astronomer for a Cunard Cruise Lines tour of the Black Sea region - which included a total solar eclipse! In 2010, he was the US Spokesperson for the International Astronomical Union’s International Year of Astronomy and he is an alum of the 2016 Astronomy in Chile Education Ambassador Program (ACEAP). He has received numerous awards including honorary degrees from LaSalle University, Rowan University and Wagner Free Institute. Pitts serves as a Board member for his alma mater St. Lawrence University, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and Associated Universities, Inc. His ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle is @CoolAstronomer and his motto is ‘Eat, breathe, do science. Sleep later.’

Ed Ting is a well-known amateur astronomer whose works have appeared in Sky & Telescope, Astronomy, Skywatch, Discover, and Popular Mechanics magazines. He is an ACEAP Ambassador to Chile, and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. His science-themed YouTube channel gets two million views a year. In addition to his science writing, Ed’s creative works have appeared in literary journals. He is a past winner of the NH State Flash Fiction contest, and was selected as Writer-in–Residence at the Noepe Center for the Fine Arts in Edgartown, Massachusetts in 2016. Ed holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, an MFA from New England College, and an MA from Dartmouth, where he produced an award-winning thesis on astronomical imaging. He is on the editorial board of Clamantis, the literary journal at Dartmouth, and has taught English Composition and Creative Writing at New England College. Ed is a classical/New Age pianist, a retired Category 3 bicycle racer, and an enthusiastic fudge confectioner.

Dr. Gretchen Stahlman is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information at Florida State University. She previously served as Assistant Professor of Library & Information Science at Rutgers University. She currently serves on the ASTRO ACCEL Leadership Team and is co-leading an effort to explore how we communicate with the general public about UAP (UFO). Gretchen earned her Ph.D. degree from the University of Arizona School of Information in 2020. Her current research interests broadly include scholarly and science communication, scientific information lifecycles, and the sociotechnical systems supporting research infrastructures, resources, and data management. The overall purpose of Gretchen’s present and future work is to inform open science and scholarly communication initiatives, as well as development of methods, services, and infrastructures for long-term information management and responsible data science. With more than 10 years of prior professional experience related to librarianship and information management, she has also worked in an academic library, and as a documentation specialist for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope construction project.

Tiffany Stone Wolbrecht is the Interim Director of Education and Public Engagement at Associated Universities Inc. Prior to joining AUI, Tiffany was the Planetarium Lecturer at Ward Beecher Planetarium where she coordinated and led programming for several communities both near and far. In 2018, Tiffany was selected to be an ambassador for the Astronomy in Chile Education Ambassadors Program ACEAP, touring NSF-supported astronomy facilities in Chile and receiving extensive training about the observatories and their telescopes, instruments, science, and data. From this experience, Tiffany developed a live planetarium show kit Eyes on Chile Skies, distributing it freely in the planetarium community. She has served on the American Astronomical Society’s Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Board for the International Planetarium Society, and the Executive Committee as Secretary for the Great Lakes Planetarium Association.

Larry McHenry has been active in amateur astronomy for over 40 years, and is a member of the Kiski Astronomers, and the Oil Region Astronomical Society (ORAS) in Western Pennsylvania. While Larry is currently an EAA observer, one of his favorite past astronomical activities is sketching deep-sky objects and he still occasionally picks up pencil & paper. Over the years, Larry has sketched and EAA/video-astronomy observed all of the Messier Objects. You can view Larry's personal sketching observations and can learn more about Larry's astronomical interests online at his webportal: http://www.stellar-journeys.org

Dean Miskovich is president of the Oil Regional Astronomical Society and has been an avid amateur astronomer for over 55 years. He is learning astrophotography but will always enjoy putting an eyepiece in a telescope and just going star hopping. He is a retired airline captain and lately enjoys spending time with his family, including two grandchildren, and his telescope, in that order.

Dean Salisbury is the current ORAS Vice President. He has been passionate about photography since his father gave him his old Argus C3 in 1964. He still has that camera and it continues to work just fine. Photographing subjects “not made by man” is his main interest. First birds, then experimenting with night scape imaging. The surprise appearance of a meteor in one of his images got him hooked on astrophotography. He enjoys learning from fellow enthusiasts and loves sharing his own experiences with others.

Gary Salisbury is a native of Butler, PA. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University in Washington DC. He retired from the Air Force in the field of Information Technology and Cyber security. He completed a second career with a large Federal Defense Contractor and started two small consulting businesses. He currently mentors small business entrepreneurs in the Maryland, Virginia and Wash DC area. He began his astrophotography journey in 2015 with the acquisition of a friend’s Meade telescope and a borrowed Nikon camera. He continues to learn and improve his imaging and processing techniques.

Tim Spuck is currently serving as the Staff Associate for Facilities Planning and Management at the U.S. National Science Foundation within the Office of the Assistant Director, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Prior to his role at NSF, he served as the Director of Education & Public Engagement for more than 10 years at Associated Universities Inc. At AUI he was responsible for the development and management of innovative STEM Education initiatives. He led numerous efforts to build domestic and international partnerships in support of astronomy and STEM education and engagement, and workforce development. Before coming to AUI he taught astronomy and earth sciences at the high school and university levels and served as a K–12 Science Coordinator. In addition, Tim has chaired the International Astronomical Union Pro-Am Working Group, led the construction of two community observatories, and has been an active member (and co-founder) of the Oil Region Astronomical Society for more than 30 years. He holds a doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction from West Virginia University, and a master’s degree in Science Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Tim has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work and served as lead editor and author for Einstein Fellows: Best Practices in STEM Education which received a Peter Lang Publishing Book of the Year award.