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An Evening with the Stars
Rob Burgess
Maine Astronomers Secretary and former President
Thursday evening September 3rd from 7:30-9:30 pm
Bowdoinham, ME
Contact: Ed Friedman, FOMB, 666-3372
The large spiral galaxy is named LEDA 2046648, it’s a little over
a billion light-years from Earthand located in the constellation Hercules.
Maine features some of the darkest, most star-filled night skies east of the Mississippi River, including New England's only official International Dark Sky designated public lands. Dark sky conservation benefits wildlife and their habitats, the science of astronomy, reduces health and safety risks to humans, saves energy, and reduces costs. Conversely, light pollution has devastating effects on migrating birds, native plants and pollinators, human health and astronomy.Rob Burgess has been active in Maine’s amateur astronomy scene for the last 30+ years. He rekindled a childhood interest in astronomy in the 1990’s first joining the Astronomical Society of Northern New England (ASNNE), heading up its fundraising effort to build the Talmadge Observatory in Kennebunk, and later becoming club President for several years. In 2004, several Talmadge members decided to offer a club closer to where they lived (and their kids went to school) so started Southern Maine Astronomers. Rob was a board member from inception, serving as club President from 2019-2025, now serving as club Secretary. He was a NASA Solar System Ambassador as well as having served on the board of the Maine Space Grant Consortium for several years, including as Board Chair. Hope for a clear evening!
Some great resources include:
https://www.southernmaineastronomers.org/
https://darkskymaine.com/
https://www.softlights.org/
https://darksky.org/
http://www.stopglobalwifi.org/The FOMB Summer Outside! Series is the warm weather counterpart to FOMB’s popular Winter Speaker Series beginning this season on October 14th. Events are usually free and are open to the public. Pre-registration is required unless otherwise noted. FOMB’s next outing will be An Evening with the Stars featuring Rob Burgess of Southern Maine Astronomers on September 3rd from 7:30-9:30 pm outside in Bowdoinham. This is followed closely on September 5th from 8:00-10:00 am by a Bird Walk with local Ornithologist Will Broussard, also in Bowdoinham. The Bay is home to a wide variety of habitats and birds and is designated a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. Finally, this Outside Series wraps up with a “Wildlife Walk/Taxidermy Talk”, September 9th at the Bowdoinham Public Library from 6:00-7:00 pm. Pre-register with Ed Friedman at 666-3372.
Sarah Stapler