Public Shows and Star Parties
Come explore the sky under the dome
March 20, 2025, Dark Sky Maine, Vernal Equinox Virtual Star Party on Zoom. For more information visit Dark Sky Maine.
March 21, 2025, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Star Party at one of the RLHT lands. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
March 29, 2025, Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing at Sunrise Public Event, Young/Collins Observatory, Colby College, Waterville, Maine. It will be from 6-8 AM. This event will be jointly sponsored by Northern Stars Planetarium, Waterville Creates, and Colby College Observatories.
April 26, 2025 Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Virtual Star Party on Zoom. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
May 30-June 1, 2025, Maine Canoe Symposium.
July 22, 2025, Stars Over Surry, Carrying Place Beach, Surry, Maine. Star party.
July 23, 2025, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Star Party at one of the RLHT lands. If it is overcast, the Night Sky Tour will be held virtually on Zoom. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
July 25-27, 2025. AMC Lyford Lodge, See the Dark ,Star Party.
July 28, 2025, Margaret Chase Smith Library/Skowhegan Public Library, planetarium shows at MCS Library.
July 29, 2025, Phillips Public Library, Star Party.
July 31, 2025, Vassalboro Public Library, planetarium shows.
August 1, 2025, Thomaston Free Library, planetarium shows.
August 2, 2025, AMC Medawisla Lodge, star party.
August 5, 2025, AMC Lyford Lodge, star party.
August 7, 2025, Weld Public Library, planetarium shows.
August 12, 2025, Freeport Library, planetarium show.
August 13, 2025, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Star Party at one of the RLHT lands. If it is overcast, the Night Sky Tour will be held virtually on Zoom. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
August 14, 2025, Webb Lake Association, Weld, Maine, star party
August 22, 23, 24, 2025 Maine State Star Party, Dennysville, ME.
August 26, 2025, Margaret Chase Smith Library, star party.
September 16, 2025, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Star Party at one of the RLHT lands. If it is overcast, the Night Sky Tour will be held virtually on Zoom. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
September 18, 2025, Somerset Woods Trustees, star party.
September 22, 2025, Kennebec Highlands Land Trust, star party.
September 23, 2025, Vinalhaven Land Trust, star party.
September 27, 2025, Stars Over Katahdin, Patten, Maine. Star party.
October 3-4-5, 2025, AMC Gorman Chairback Lodge, star party.
October 12-19, 2025, See the Dark Festival, Appalachian Mountain Club, in the Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park, northeast of Greenville, Maine.
October 24, 2025, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Rangeley, Maine. A Star Party at one of the RLHT lands. If it is overcast, the Night Sky Tour will be held virtually on Zoom. For more information contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.
December 19-21, 2025, AMC Highlands Center, New Hampshire, See the Dark Star Party.
July 28, 2026, Harbor Club, Seal Harbor, planetarium shows.
Exploring the Spring Sky 4 Week Class
Exploring the Spring Skies Class
Learn the Stars, Constellations and Planets of Spring
March 23 & 30, April 6 & 13, 2022, 7-8 pm.
Instructor: John Meader, Director of Northern Stars Planetarium and Vice President of Dark Sky Maine.
Learn the spring sky with a weekly virtual lesson. Each lesson will be roughly one hour long.
You will learn the constellations of spring, the names of significant stars, as well as how to find the visible planets. Everyone will gain access to Stellarium and learn how to use this amazing free software for study and future reference.
Fee $60/person.
To register donate $60 to Dark Sky Maine and email us at darkskymaine@gmail.com that you’re registering for the Exploring the Spring Skies Class.
Dark Sky Maine--Vernal Equinox Virtual Star Party on Zoom!
Join us on March 21, at 7pm, the first full day of spring, for a special virtual star party on Zoom, and it’s completely FREE!
The Spring Star Party will feature:
Special guest, author Jamie Hogan, who will read her children’s book Skywatcher. Be sure to bring your children along!
A tour of the stars and constellations of spring with DSM’s Vice President, John Meader of Northern Stars Planetarium.
A look at the nocturnal creatures of spring with DSM’s Maine Master Naturalist, Serena Sanborn.
How to observe the upcoming lunar eclipse on May 15-16 with DSM’s Treasurer, Shawn Laatsch, Director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center at the University of Maine.
A trip to the pyramids of Egypt with DSM’s President, Nancy Hathaway.
It’s sure to be a fun hour+ on Zoom, packed with lots of great information.
To register simply email darkskymaine@gmail.com and say you’d like to register for the Spring Star Party. You’ll receive a Zoom link a day or two before the event.
Stars Over Katahdin
Stars Over Katahdin has been changed from an in-person star party to a virtual star party on Zoom due to Covid restrictions. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters and Dark Sky Maine. Come and join us for an evening of great speakers and explore the skies.
Stars Over Surry
Stars Over Surry is sponsored by Town of Surry Conservation Commission. John Meader of Northern Stars Planetarium will present a Night Sky Tour.
Night Sky Tour at Thompson Free Library
Contact the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft to register for the Night Sky Tour on September 11, 2021.
Nature at Night
Join us for a tour of the night sky and an exploration of the lovely nocturnal moths of early fall. Maine Master Naturalist, Serena Sanborn, and John Meader, of Northern Stars Planetarium, will lead the nature tour highlighting local moths and not-so-local constellations! John will share a bit of constellation lore and will use a laser to point directly to the stars he illuminates in this program.
Bring a blanket if you want to lie on the ground, and bug-spray might also be a wise addition. We ask that you only bring flashlights with red filters so your eyes can become fully adjusted to the dark. If you bring your own binoculars, John will follow up the evening’s sky tour to lead a binocular star-hop for a closer look. Due to COVID-19, we cannot share a telescope or binoculars, so everyone who wants to learn to star hop, must bring their own binoculars.
Free and open to all.
Exploring the Night Sky Class
Join John Meader and Nancy Hathaway for a four week class to help you learn constellations, stars, and planets of the autumn night skies. The class stars on Wednesday Sept. 8, and will meet on each Wednesday for four weeks, the final class will be on September 29, 2021. Each class will be approximately 1 hour (7-8pm) on Zoom.
Cost is $60 donation to the non-profit Dark Sky Maine. Payment can be made to https://darkskymaine.com/donate, then send an email to darkskymaine@gmail.com to let us know you’re interested.
Night Sky Tour with Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
Contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust to register for this event at (207) 864-7311 or email at info@rlht.org.
Night Sky Tour with 7 Lakes Alliance
Join John as he presents a Night Sky Tour for the 7 Lakes Alliance. To register contact 7 Lakes Alliance by calling 207-495-6039 or e-mail info@7lakesalliance.org.
Mindfulness Under the Stars
Mindfulness Under the Stars is a joint endeavor between Nancy Hathaway and John Meader. Nancy will be teaching mindfulness practices and John will be sharing the night skies during this four day workshop.
Contact: www.WhiteheadLightStation.org
Stars Over Surry
Stars Over Surry is sponsored by Town of Surry Conservation Commission. John Meader of Northern Stars Planetarium will present a Night Sky Tour.
Evening Night Sky Tour, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust
Join John for a Night Sky Tour of the constellations, stars, and visible planets in support of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust on Tuesday January 12 at 6 pm. Please contact David Miller at RLHT for reservations and more information at 207-864-7311.
Reservations are required at the event is limited to 30 participants.
Dress warmly, this is an outdoor event and it will likely be cold!
Evening Night Sky Tour, Maine Street Skowhegan
Join John for a Night Sky Tour of the constellations and visible planets at Lake George Park, Skowhegan, Maine on Thursday January 7, 2021 at 6:30. This event is being hosted by Main Street Skowhegan, please contact Emma Corwin at info@mainstreetskowhegan.org for reservations, or call 207-614-4078.
Reservations Required, as the event is limited to the first 30 people.
Please dress warmly, this is an outdoor event and it’s likely to be cold!
Stars Over Katahdin, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Stars Over Katahdin Star Party, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
