All observing is done out in the open air, under the stars. Dress appropriately.
This is where we check our weather - you can check it too:
>>Forecast for Southold NY<<.
For the Curious
The Custer Institute and Observatory is Long Island's oldest public observatory (est.1927). Open to the public every Saturday evening from dusk until midnight, our staff of volunteers will give you a tour of the facilities and the night sky through our powerful telescopes. Custer has a library, exhibit room, and gift shop. Frequent lectures, classes,concerts, art exhibits and other special events.
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Updated: 11/25/23
Saturday Night Observing: Open 7pm-Midnight
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Saturday, Dec 9 4:30 pm |
Custer Board Meeting.Members welcome. |
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Saturday, DECEMBER 16 7:00PM |
WINTER WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY.
Learn how to explore and navigate the winter night sky, including the constellations visible this season and stories behind them! Randall DiGiuseppe, Custer lifetime member and presenter, will be your guide to the awe-inspiring objects that grace our winter night sky such as the Pleiades, Orion's stars and nebulae, and other winter constellations. The guided lecture portion of this event will be outdoors when the stars are out, so please dress accordingly. Coffee, tea and hot cocoa will be available to all who attend this special evening. Telescopes for viewing the objects covered during the event will be in the main observatory dome and in the open field. Bundle up, look up and take in what our winter night sky has to offer. This event is being held outdoors and is open to everyone. Just bring an inquisitive mind, a blanket or chair and your imagination. Randall DiGiuseppe is a professional artist, lecturer, telescope builder and amateur astronomer for over four decades. He is a lifetime member of the Custer Institute and Observatory and recipient of the Astronomical League’s Messier Award. He conducts lectures on the dynamics, history and art of the night sky throughout the country. Following the presentation, Observatory staff will provide guided tours of the night sky (weather permitting) through the many telescopes on site, including the apochromatic Zerochromat telescope in our historic observation dome. $5 Adult, $3 Children Under 16, Observatory Members FREE. Your donations make it possible to offer programs like these and are greatly appreciated. Due to limited space, registration is strongly encouraged. Please bring a blanket or chair to enjoy the presentation. 
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JWST finds most distant supermassive black hole known (and it's WAY BIGGER than should be possible)
NASA Webb Telescope Team. Researchers have discovered the most distant active supermassive black hole to date with the James Webb Space Telescope. The galaxy, CEERS 1019, existed just over 570 million years after the big bang, and its black hole is less massive than any other yet identified in the early universe.
Skywatching Tips from NASA
NASA TV airs a variety of regularly scheduled, pre-recorded educational and public relations programming 24 hours a day on its various channels. The network also provides an array of live programming, such as 24-hour coverage of International Space Station events (spacewalks, media interviews, educational broadcasts), and rocket launches.