An Evening with the Stars
(Rescheduled)

Rob Burgess
Maine Astronomers Secretary and former President
Thursday evening October 15th from 6:00 to 8:00pm
Merrymeeting Bay Wildlife Management Area
Bowdoinham, ME
Contact: Ed Friedman, FOMB, 666-3372

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The large spiral galaxy is named LEDA 2046648, it’s a little over
a billion light-years from Earthand located in the constellation Hercules.

Join Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (FOMB) for an Evening with the Stars on October 15th from 6:00-8:00pm in the Merrymeeting Bay Wildlife Management Area at the end of Wildes Road in Bowdoinham. This event requires pre-registration by calling Ed at 207-666-3372. The evening features Southern Maine Astronomers Secretary and former President Rob Burgess. This presentation has been rescheduled from its original September 3rd date when clouds caused the postponement. If cloudy weather prevails again, Rob will offer an indoor presentation in the Selectboard’s Room of the Bowdoinham Town Office at the same time. An Evening with the Stars 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/ FOMB’s popular Winter Speaker Series begins this season on October 14th with a presentation entitled Aldo Leopold & “The Oldest Task in Human History” featuring Stan Temple, Professor Emeritus of Conservation, U. of Wisconsin, Madison and Science Advisor to the Aldo Leopold Foundation Board. This will be the 30th year of FOMB’s winter series and presentations are now held via zoom. Events are usually free and are open to the public. Pre-registration is required unless otherwise noted. For more information about FOMB’s programs call Ed Friedman at 666-3372.