The Springfield STARS Club will hold a 90th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, September 24 at 7pm in the Tolman Auditorium at the Springfield Science Museum. Activities will include several short presentations about the history and current activities of the club and recognition of long-term members and their contributions to the community. Attendance is free and open to the public. In addition to Richard Sanderson of East Longmeadow, the club will also recognize long-time members Ed Faits of Southwick, Amanda Jermyn of Longmeadow, John Megas of Springfield, James Mell of Springfield, and William Zanelli of Chicopee.
Since 1934, Springfield has been home to an amateur science organization whose members are dedicated to making telescopes and enjoying the beauty of the night sky.
That year, a Westinghouse refrigeration engineer named Carl Alsing checked out a book about telescope making from the Springfield City Library and began building his own instrument. When a small group of friends and coworkers expressed an interest, he founded the Springfield Telescope and Reflector Society, now known as the Springfield STARS Club.
At the same time, Frank Korkosz and his brother John were hard at work constructing the Springfield Science Museum’s “Starball,” now the oldest operating planetarium projector in North America. The Seymour Planetarium opened in 1937 and instantly became a popular museum attraction.
Ninety years later, the STARS Club and Science Museum are intimately linked. “Our relationship with the STARS Club far exceeds providing a meeting space,” said Jenny Powers, director of the Science Museum. “This partnership has brought not only the Foucault Pendulum to the museum, but also the 20-inch telescope and rooftop observatory.”
Last year, the Museum and STARS Club joined forces to conduct the highly successful Stars Over Springfield stargazing program, which sold out each month.
The Springfield Museums and STARS Club share a common goal of educating people about the heavens, the club is also committed to conducting public astronomy outreach and popularization.
Visit the Springfield Stars club website.
The Stars over Springfield program is organized by the Museums in partnership with the Springfield Stars Club. The program takes place on the first Friday of each month, from 7-8:30 pm.
Stars over Springfield is best suited for families with children ages 8 and older, however younger children are also welcome.
For information about astronomy programs at the Springfield Science Museum, please call 413-263-6800, ext. 318.
