See Stars at Barrington Beach

See the summer stars at Barrington Beach on Friday night, Aug. 10.

The Recreation Department is teaming up with the Astronomical Society of Southern New England (ASSNE) for a night of family star gazing at Barrington Beach. Watch the stars from 7:30 to approximately 10 pm.

Bring beach chairs, blankets, snacks and friends, said Katie Grove, summer intern in charge of events.

“The ASSNE will be providing multiple telescopes for viewing the stars and George Huftalen of the ASSNE will be walking around, pointing out constellations, and assisting viewers,” Grove said.

Just before sunset at 7:52,” said John Taylor, recreation director, “Huftalen will invite guests to lie back, watch for meteors and satellites, listen to music as he points out constellations such as Lyra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Cygnus the Swan, Perseus, Cassiopeia, along with asterisms such as The Big Dipper and the Summer Triangle.”

Stories of the constellations and a pass of the International Space Station and some possible Iridium Flares (satellites which brighten suddenly and dramatically) could entertain star gazers as well, said Taylor, even as Huftalen points out the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Double Cluster in Perseus.  

After the initial introductions, said Taylor, you will be invited in small groups to go to several telescopes set up on the edge of the beach to look at some deep sky objects.

Among the possible objects: Ring Nebula, aka M57, or the Andromeda Galaxy, aka M31, or the beautiful double star Alberio or the Wild Duck Cluster, aka M11, along with clusters M4, M15, M7, The Eagle Nebula M16, The Swan Nebula M17, The Dumbell Nebula, M27 and the planets Saturn, Mars and, perhaps, Neptune and or Uranus near the end of the program.

Aug. 10 will be a moonless night as the moon is scheduled to rise after the completion of the event around 10 pm, said Taylor.