Arunah Hill

09/06/2026

Although a few groups are still on the hill enjoying the prospect of a crystalline sky tonight, another successful Arunah Hill Days is in the books.

The highlights for me:

-informative and entertaining twilight talks by Bob Donahue and Marsha Wilcox, both triggering a lively Q&A
-clear skies Friday with Saturn and the Milky Way dazzling
-more than a dozen kids around Ranger Gary Cislak, building and launching rockets. One lost to a CATO and two lost in the trees, but otherwise dozens of successful launches.
-tasty burgers and 'dogs by Tyler G and Deb
-a quick visit by my almost-two-year old granddaughter, who missed her afternoon nap(as I did too)
-the smiles on the raffle winners, especially grand prize winner Jenny Powers
-a generous contribution by long-time member Chevy. In his honor we named his business the official ride service of Arunah Hill. His Business Card in the comments below.
-Our best T-shirt ever? Plus matching stickers, facilitated by Ranger Gary
-all of the buzz on the hill, the happy energy from all the attendees, even under some Saturday night clouds. The "virtual campfire" at the Goulette's trailer seemed to be where everyone ended up at sometime during the weekend.

Thanks to all who made this a great weekend. Extra thanks to Barry, who makes it all come together, Andrew, who gets "volunteered" for everything from rockets and the heavy lifting, Tom for his raffle work and all the workdays prepping the hill, Gary, whose generosity is unbound, Tyler, who hits every workday and handles the kitchen, Bob, who despite being a PhD astrophysicist and prolific writer still found time to sweep the pavilion and weed-whack the buildings, and James, who fixed the roadway and is at all the workdays, Pat & Bill Lee, whose wise counsel and presence on the hill make it a better place, and Krystyna who got "volunteered" to be our raffle runner and also helped some of the younger kids build rockets.

I know I'm forgetting lots of others who help in ways large and small.

09/05/2026

Last night was terrific! After a great talk on Exoplanets by Bob Donahue, and a lively Q&A, the clouds dissipated and we we treated to the Summer Milky Way in all its' glory. A highlight for me was the view of Saturn in Dan Carnavale's fine refractor.

Though the skies might not cooperate tonight, still a lot of fun on the hill today, with rockets, a talk by Astrophotographer extraordinaire Marsha Wilcox, and someone will win the Meade 6" refractor in the raffle.

Pick up an Arunah Hill Tshirt and enjoy the day. We even have "really bad Sci-Fi theater queued up if the clouds don't cooperate.

09/03/2026

The Moundville people were excellent astronomers with the culture tied to the night sky and "the path of souls". We got to visit a few years ago, interesting place.

Along the banks of the Black Warrior River south of Tuscaloosa lies one of the most important ancient sites in all of North America, Moundville, where a great civilization flourished centuries before any European set foot on these shores. Between roughly the years 1000 and 1450, this was one of the largest and most powerful cities on the whole continent, the center of a thriving culture we now call the Mississippians. At its height, thousands of people lived here in a carefully planned town, and they built enormous flat-topped earthen mounds, some of them dozens of feet high, raised basketful of dirt by basketful of dirt through the labor of countless hands. Atop these great mounds stood the homes of chiefs and temples of worship, arranged around a vast central plaza in a design that still amazes us today. These were a sophisticated people, skilled farmers who grew corn along the fertile river bottoms, gifted artists who created beautiful pottery and ornaments, and keen watchers of the stars. Then, for reasons still not fully understood, the great city gradually emptied, and the people moved on, leaving behind only their magnificent mounds to tell their story. Today Moundville is a peaceful park where those ancient mounds still rise from the green plain, and a fine museum tells the tale of the remarkable people who built them. To walk among them is to feel the deep and humbling weight of history, to remember that Alabama's story stretches back far, far longer than we often think. These mounds are a sacred link to the first peoples of this land. Standing in their shadow, you feel the deep silence of a story far older than the state itself. They remind us to honor all who walked this ground before us, long ago.

09/03/2026

Arunah Hill Days starts tomorrow:
-Milky Way
-Telescopes
-World-class twilight talks
-Free rockets for kids of all ages
-Nature hike
-Raffle and swaps table

The forecast is looking good! Come on up!
$10 per carload

09/02/2026

08/31/2026

Arunah Hill Days just got even better!

We'll have a special raffle of a fine 6" refractor. Tickets will be limited to 200 so your chances of winning will be good. Tickets are $5 for one, or six for $25.

Includes a solid alt-az mount and a solar filter. At least a $2,000 value! This telescope is from the Tom Whitney bequest, some of you may remember it from 5A public events. The Meade 152 ED APO is legendary among refractor fans.

Proceeds will fund improvements on the hill.

08/30/2026

Ever seen Saturn in a 120-year-old telescope?

The Gaertner Telescope will catch the ringed planet during Arunah Hill Days. Used to teach generations of students at Smith College, this wonderful scope is now a cherished feature on the hill.

08/29/2026

Productive workday today. Just about ready for Arunah Hill Days. Thanks Barry H, Dan C, Tyler G, Andrew C, James E, Tom S, Bob D, & Bill and Gene L.

08/29/2026

If you haven't discovered it yet, the Northern Berkshire Astronomical Society maintains an amazing web site!

Informative articles, Astro quizzes, and much more.

Northern Berkshire's home for amateur astronomy — whatever your experience, you belong under our skies.

08/28/2026

Too early to worry about the long-term weather forecast, but I know for certain that we have great keynote speakers for Arunah Hill Days:
Friday is Bob Donahue, PhD, talking exoplanets.
Saturday is the amazing astrophotography of Marsha Wilcox, ScD.

We are lucky to have these two talented, articulate,and dedicated science communicators.