The observatory sits on the corner of a 60+ acre land trust.

The observatory with its roof closed.

The roof is rolled back and the observatory is open.

David Bianchi prepares the Zeiss telescope for solar viewing.

Looking down the barrel of a Meade LX 200 GPS telescope.

8-inch Zeiss refractor telescope.

Solar flares, as seen through the Zeiss telescope.

Starfield of dreams

There's something undeniably special about looking into outer space with your own eyes. If you've never seen a shining star, the moon, or the rings of Saturn through the lens of a telescope, you're missing an extraordinary sight.

Thanks to some goodwill and hard work by local astronomy enthusiasts, taking a peak into the galaxy is only a drive away.

Kennebunk's Starfield Observatory was born three years ago after a generous land donation by Dan Fleishman and Claudia Berman. This jewel of an observatory sits in the corner of a 60+ acre land trust with a beautiful view of the southern horizon, making it perfect for stargazing. The area is quiet, the sky is big, and the views are amazing.

If you build it, they will come

The construction of an observatory was a long-standing dream of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England (ASNNE). This all-volunteer, nonprofit educational organization was founded in 1982 with a mandate to to promote public awareness of astronomy. Group members gathered with their own telescopes to observe astronomical sights and events, inviting the public to join them for views of the moon, planets, nebulae and galaxies.

The observatory structure was the brainchild of engineer, ASNNE club member, past director and president, Peter Talmage. A friend of Fleishman and Berman, Talmage worked with the couple, the town of Kennebunk, and ASNNE club members to formalize plans and construct the building.

Talmage designed a 16' x 32' roll-off roof design (click here for photo gallery), atop five-foot high stud walls surfaced with metal siding. The structure houses two telescopes; an 8" f/15 Zeiss-Jena refractor and a 16" Meade LX200 GPs Schmidt-Cassegrain. As described on the ASNNE website, "The wall height will block wind, adding comfort to viewing. The roll-off roof permits the telescopes to be prepared quickly for use, and unlike a dome, provides a full view of the sky."

Thanks to donations and the commitment of ASNNE members, Starfield has become home base for the organization and dramatically increased their community outreach and involvement. Whether it's a scout troop, astronomy class, community group, or your average enthusiast, the observatory's roof is open to everyone.

Seeing is believing

There are monthly opportunities for the public to enjoy the observatory, including nighttime star parties and daytime solar viewing.

"The Friday nearest the new moon is a general club star party. We have a public star party in the vicinity of about 2 weeks later. We have solar viewing on Sundays, once a month," explains director and Star Party coordinator, David Bianchi. (visit ASNNE.org for the latest event schedule).

Astronomical events that are well publicized in the press often lead to big crowds at the observatory. Last August, when Mars was closer to Earth than any other time in recorded history, Starfield Observatory was a busy place.

"We were open the whole week. The actual day was on Wednesday, but we had people show up all week. We had 2300 or 2400 visitors run through here -- all for a 30 second to 1 minute view of Mars," said Bianchi.

A window to the universe

There is a general lack of public knowledge about space, and ASNNE is doing their part to make astronomy more accessible to everyone. The club recently completed a comprehensive astronomy curriculum designed and written by Lisa Damian-Marvin (Maine's Presidential Science Teacher of the Year for 2000), in conjunction with ASNNE members. The guide is available for both classroom and personal use and is available by contacting an ASNNE member through their website.

Gazing into deep space through the eye of a telescope has a way of putting things into perspective, reminding us that our earth is just a small piece of an infinite puzzle. "People just don't realize the vastness of space," said Bianchi. "Ten billion miles doesn't get you anywhere, barely to the edge of the solar system and beyond. It can be overwhelming to people."

Thanks to the efforts of ASNNE club members and the Starfield Observatory, the universe feels a little closer to home.

by Scott Baker
June 23rd, 2004
editor, aroundmaine.com