Stellafane Aurora

A great aurora display over Stellafane, the birthplace of amateur telescope making and historic clubhouse of the Springfield Telescope Makers in Vermont, northeastern USA. As noted by the photographer and long time amateur astronomer “Russell W. Porter began teaching mirror making after-hours at Jones & Lamson Machine Co. In 1924, the club was organized to build telescopes and learn about the wonders of the heavens. By 1928, the clubhouse was constructed with a steeply-pitched roof and the main meeting room was designed by Porter with timbers to resemble the sailing ship which took him on his Arctic exploration, decades earlier. A 12-inch aperture F/17 Turret telescope was completed in 1930 with the eyepiece and controls inside the dome so that observers could keep warm in the harsh Vermont winters”.