You can find past events on this page
May 2nd, 2025- Stars Over Springfield: Attendees arriving enjoyed views of the Moon through telescopes set up by STARS club members, near the entrance of the museum. The featured speaker for the evening was Ed Faits, a past president of the STARS Club, who gave a fascinating talk titled “Henges, Mounds, and Sun Circles.” He discussed how people have made structures to mark the annual movement of the rising and setting of the sun throughout many years. Jack Megas presented a stellar planetarium show for the audience, and there were many hands- on activities in Astronomy Hall. Visitors also made their ways upstairs to observe the Moon through the museum’s Fillmore Telescope, a 20-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain.
April 22nd, 2025- STARS Club Meeting: The night began with the outreach coordinator, Gene Dick presenting certificates to club members for their outreach activities. This months meeting featured speaker was Mike Kerr, an instructor of physics and astronomy at Eastern Connecticut State University and past director of the Springfield Science Museum. His talk, “Blood Rain, Candle Dragons, and Merry Dancers,” discussed aurora borealis.
April 4th, 2025- Stars Over Springfield: The crowds gathered in Astronomy Hall, with hands on activities and informative handouts. Jack Megas gave an amazing planetarium show! Kaitlynn Goulette presented about the universe in motion! Through thin clouds, Richard Sanderson offered views of the Moon through the museum’s 20-inch Fillmore Telescope.
March, 25th 2025- STARS Club Meeting: The evening began with club business, including Gene Dick, the outreach coordinator, presenting certificates to club members for their outreach activities. Richard Nugent was the featured speaker of the night. He is a member and past president of the ATMoB (Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston) and gave a fantastic talk about visual observing in the 21st century.
February, 25th 2025- STARS Club Meeting: Carolyn Russo, the National Air and Space Museum’s specialist/curator of art presented about space art and reimagining space exploration.
February, 7th 2025- Stars Over Springfield: As attendees were arriving, STARS Club members were offering views of Jupiter near the museum’s entrance. After weathering the cold, the crowd headed inside for the evening events. Kevin Kopchynski gave the crowd a lesson on gravity and how it works. Jack Megas gave an out of this world planetarium show! STARS Club members volunteered throughout Astronomy Hall, with hands on activities and informative handouts. Taking advantage of the evening’s clear skies, the participants viewed Jupiter through the museum’s 20-inch Fillmore Telescope, with the guidance of Richard Sanderson.
January, 28th 2025-STARS Club Meeting: Last night, our monthly STARS Club Meeting was held on zoom. President Richard Sanderson began with discussing club plans and topics. Following that he introduced Dr. Jennifer Piatek who is a professor of Earth and Space Science at Central Connecticut State University. She discussed the recent Mars missions and future plans for missions. Her presentation was very informative and truly out of this world!
January, 3rd 2025-Stars Over Springfield: The night began outside, STARS Club members offered views of the moon as they arrived! Attendees joined Jack Megas for a planetarium show. Danielle Lee Desmarais and Jenny Powers gave a great talk about binoculars and telescopes. There were hands-on activities in Spark!Lab. Richard Sanderson gave views of Jupiter from the roof top observatory to end the night.
November, 26 2024-STARS Club Meeting: Katie Ciurleo is a graduate student at Wesleyan University. She presented about sorting supermassive black holes, X-ray and Optical Spectra.
November, 1st 2024-Stars Over Springfield: The evening began with attendees viewing Saturn through STARS Club member, Gene Dick’s telescope. Jack Megas gave an incredible planetarium show, and Richard Sanderson spoke about the features of the moon. The rooftop observatory was open under clear skies and treated attendees to fabulous observations.
October, 22nd 2024- STARS Club Meeting: Joel Cummings presented a wonderful talk about the current and future exhibits at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. The club members also discussed there incredible experiences in the past mouth about comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinsha-ATLAS and the aurora borealis.
SUN-Days: Members of the Springfield STARS Club participated in a public outreach event at the Springfield Science Museum and offered telescopic views of the Sun through a solar filter. The club also taught the attendees, many of whom were kids, about the Sun’s UV light by making bracelets with UV beads. The STARS Club had handouts and an information table to further share their passion with the public.
May 28, 2024-STARS Club Meeting: The club members shared their eclipse experiences.
May 3-Stars Over Springfield: The night started in Spark!Lab with hand-on activities! Richard Sanderson spoke about halos, rainbows, and other atmospheric phenomena. Jack Megas did a great planetarium show!
April 23, 2024- STARS Club Meeting: The club members shared their stories of the eclipse.
April 5, 2024-Stars Over Springfield :Beginning the night there were hands on activities held in Spark!Lab. Jack Megas taught everyone about rocks from space, and Kevin Kopchynski presented an amazing planetarium show. Clouds hampered observing from the roof top observatory, but tours were given by Richard Sanderson
March 26, 2024- STARS Club Meeting: Richard Sanderson’s presentation, “Operation Moonwatch” draws a packed house at the March STARS Club Meeting.
March 1, 2024- Stars Over Springfield: This event was a blast! Kevin Kopchynski was in the “conversation and demonstration” room, with the topic being “What is Beyond Our Solar System?” Jack Megas gave a wonderful planetarium show to the audience! The roof top observatory was under clouds, but attendees were able to tour the observatory. Girl Scout troop 65144 attended the event to attain a badge and had a fantastic time, along with everyone that attended.
February 27, 2024- STARS Club Meeting: Danielle Lee Desmarais presented about her recent trip to Arizona. She discussed the many places that she visited, with an enthusiastic emphasis on Meter Crater. Danielle is planning another trip in May. After her fabulous presentation, many of us in the audience want to do the same!
February 2, 2024-Stars Over Springfield: February’s SOS was another sold out event! The evening began with hands on activities throughout astronomy hall. Lani Ching presented “Our Cosmic Neighborhood,” it was out of this world! Even with the cold and cloudy skies the observatory was open for a tour. The audience enjoyed a wonderful planetarium show.
January 5,2024-Stars Over Springfield: The Westfield Space and Astronomy Club gave a presentation about telescopes, including the different types and their experience using them. Jack Megas gave the audience a fantastic planetarium show. Rich Sanderson had the museum’s rooftop observatory operating under clear skies and offering views of Jupiter to the guests.
December 19, 2023 – STARS Club Meeting: Winter Holiday Door Prize Extravaganza: Everyone had a great time and enjoyed taking home new astronomy-themed items!
November 28, 2023 – STARS Club Meeting:
“An Exciting Trip Around the Sun: Astronomical Adventures From My First Year as Director of the Springfield Science Museum,” by Jenny Powers.
Highlighted by science events in Springfield as well as New York, Boston, and Pittsburgh, and moments like the first image release from the James Webb Space Telescope and helping blind people experience astronomy, Jenny’s first year as director of the Science Museum has been packed with cosmic adventures. She will share stories from that memorable year and discuss what she’s learned about connecting with people through the study and sharing of astronomy.
Jenny Powers is an experienced museum professional with a focus on STEM education and the power of simple positive interactions. She fell in love with astronomy while visiting the Seymour Planetarium. Now an avid amateur astronomer, Jenny shares her love of the night sky through museum programs as well as outreach activities such as helping Girl Scouts earn their space badges and conducting sidewalk astronomy in her neighborhood.
In early 2022, Jenny became the second woman to take the helm of the Springfield Science Museum, and the first woman to hold that position in more than 70 years. She also loves exploring science just for fun and is a member of the Connecticut Valley Mineral Club, the Naturalists’ Club, the Allen Bird Club, and the Springfield STARS Club, in addition to being a Lifetime Girl Scout.
October 24, 2023 – STARS Club Meeting:
Several club members presented photos and reports of recent astronomy activities. Kaitlynn Goulette discussed Arunah Hill’s “Starwatch 2023” training program, Ed Faits showed pictures of his trip to historic Yerkes Observatory, and shared photos of August’s Stellafane convention.