Remembering Stellafane

Startrails in a clear mid-summer night of Stellafane. The Stellafane Convention is a world-known annual star party in Springfield, Vermont, north east corner of United States. 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 early August). Stellafane started in 1926 and is the longest running astronomical convention in the world. As noted by the photographer and long time Sky&Telescope editor “The image is assembled from several hundred 30-second exposures made while attempting to record Perseid meteors in August 2006. The unusual-looking building in the foreground is the famous Porter Turret telescope at Stellafane. Moonlight illuminated the foreground during the exposures”.