Stellafane Vt -
"Stellafane" is derived from the Latin phrase Stella Fane , meaning "Shrine to the Stars."
That concrete clubhouse, complete with a rotating turret that looks like a medieval fortress, still stands today. It is the spiritual heart of the amateur astronomy world.
Because everyone here built their own scope, they know every flaw and virtue of their optics. They will gladly let you look through a 24-inch hand-ground Dobsonian for a view of the Ring Nebula that looks like a photograph. stellafane vt
The site features a Clear Sky Chart , a specialized weather forecast used by astronomers to predict cloud cover and sky transparency. The Stellafane Convention
Porter taught local machinists and clockmakers how to grind glass in their basements. The group, calling themselves the "Springfield Telescope Makers," needed a clubhouse. They chose a hilltop with a 360-degree view and built a small, quirky observatory out of concrete and scrounged materials. They dubbed the site "Stellafane." "Stellafane" is derived from the Latin phrase Stella
A newer facility housing a 13-inch Schupmann telescope, used for high-resolution planetary and solar observations.
On a remote, windswept hilltop in the Green Mountains of Vermont, just outside the tiny village of Springfield, a strange ritual takes place every summer. As the sun dips below the treeline, hundreds of homemade telescopes turn skyward. There are no massive government grants here, no billion-dollar mirrors. Just passion, ingenuity, and the Milky Way spilling across a pitch-black sky. They will gladly let you look through a
Porter suggested the name Stellafane , derived from the Latin words stella (star) and fanum (shrine), literally meaning "Shrine to the Stars" . The Stellafane Convention Stellafane Observatory National Historic Landmark
Designed by Porter, who was also an accomplished artist and arctic explorer, the clubhouse features a sliding roof and a cozy, hearth-warmed interior. Surrounding it are Porter’s whimsical concrete "turrets"—small observatory domes that look like something out of a Tolkien novel, each designed to house specific telescopes built by the early members.
Held every summer during a new moon, the convention draws hundreds of enthusiasts who bring homemade telescopes for display and competition.
