Astronomers' Stellafane Convention in Vermont Illuminates the Night
On the other side of Precision Valley - once the home to a hub of American commerce and industry - there resides a steep hill known as Stellafane. Every August, stargazers and telescope builders converge upon that hill to camp, cook, drink, swap stories, and set up their prized possessions. And how passionate are some of the members of Springfield Telescope Makers - the club that organises the Stellafane Convention. When the site they once used for the event was downgraded into a Christmas tree farm, two senior Stellafane members mortgaged their homes (allegedly, without telling their wives) and bought the hill where enthusiasts from all over the country now convene. Read more