Spring Starfest 2019 – Amateur Astronomers Association

Once again the AAA held its annual Spring StarFest in the Bronx…but with a new twist!

What’s that you say…mausoleums? Why not, especially when they are illuminated with our favorite color: “night-vision red.” That was the backdrop for this year’s spring star party, and what a sight it was!

Picture it: a wide open field, set back from the glare of city lights, flanked by beautiful and historic mausoleums glowing in red, a large grassy observing area full of all kinds of telescopes, hundreds of people enjoying the views, all while celestial music bathed the entire area.

That pretty much describes Spring StarFest 2019.

Your 2019 Spring StarFest Committee worked hard in the months leading up to the event to make it a very special evening. We were very fortunate to have member Jason Shilling Kendall, adjunct instructor of Astronomy at William Paterson University lead us on an exciting tour of the solar system. Jason is well-known by members to be a dynamic speaker, with a wealth of astronomical knowledge. Guests crowded around the small-scale model of the solar system at the center of the observing field while Jason expounded upon the vast distances between the planets.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the folks at the Woodlawn Conservancy generously allowed guests to visit the historic Suffragette mausoleum that houses prominent women from the suffragette movement, and the original suffragette flag, tattered, but elegantly displayed. Thanks to Michael Flaminio and everyone at the Woodlawn Conservancy for hosting such a special evening.

Events like these cannot happen without the support of our many wonderful observers, who bring their telescopes out for the public to enjoy. The StarFest Committee (Rori Baldari, John Benfatti, and Amy Wagner) sincerely thanks each and everyone of you who came out to show the stars to our guests in the Bronx that evening. Those persons are: