Some of the brightest stars are visible in the winter sky, but add in a telescope and you can even see galaxies!

On Saturday, January 17 at 6:30 PM, join Chocorua Lake Conservancy (CLC), Cook Memorial Library (CML), and Wonalancet Out Door Club (WODC) for a Skywatch in Wonalancet with Joe Dechene and others from New Hampshire Astronomical Society. This free program is appropriate for all ages, families welcome! Cloudy sky/storm date is Sunday, January 18. Please register in advance below so that we can let you know if the weather changes our plans. You’ll receive an email a couple of days before with directions and additional information, including encouragement to dress really warmly! The registration form also includes additional info.

What’s a Skywatch?

It’s a gathering of amateur astronomers with a focus on outreach and education. A Skywatch is by definition "beginner-friendly." At a Skywatch, NH Astronomical Society’s focus is on giving participants the most enjoyable and educational experience possible!

NH Astro members arrive before sunset, set up their equipment and choose their celestial targets with public education and outreach in mind. Wonalancet, with its very dark skies, and the timing of this event around the new moon, will allow us to see more deep sky objects like galaxies. The astronomers will provide an overview of what we’ll be seeing, and participants will take turn viewing through the eyepiece of the telescope. We will also enjoy looking up at the skies with our bare eyes and finding some of the major winter constellations.

Joe Dechene is an avid astronomer and telescope maker. He has been making telescopes for many years, and has several awards for designs, optical precision, and craftsmanship. He has built a scope for each of his three kids. When he’s not exploring the cosmos, you’ll find Joe cycling New Hampshire’s backroads, playing ice hockey, or capturing the beauty of nature through his camera lens. He lives in Effingham, NH with his wife, Maggie and dog, Molly. Joe participates in public sky watches for the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and is a member of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston.